Hey Donna.
I didn’t want to have this conversation, but I can see it’s going to keep coming up, and I cannot have a church that I disagree with being promoted on this site. What I share, I share as someone who studied with the church for a very long time. In fact, I drove 2,000 miles each way for 10 years to go to Passover. I do not take this subject lightly, but you asked so I will answer.
Before I share, also know, everyone is always going to have disagreement. I always say that, however, there is a difference between Scripture opinions, and outright distorting Scripture to fit ones belief. That is where I have the problem.
I have compiled a rather large list, here are some of the items.
1. Pastor Murray always said, “eth-ha-Adam” in Hebrew is “emphatic for the man Adam,” and it can only refer to “the man Adam.”
- That’s a lie.
I realized that when I wrote the study about everyone being related to Adam and Eve. In Genesis 1:27, the “word” man is “eth-ha-Adam” in Hebrew. Yet, it refers to the people created on the sixth day, not Adam. Therefore, “eth-ha-Adam” cannot mean “the man Adam.” Pastor Murray knew this, but disregarded it. In this video clip, Pastor Murray even says, “the Companion Bible will disagree with me, that’s okay, that’s okay.”
In so doing, Pastor Murray admitted that he knew “eth-ha-Adam” doesn’t only refer to Adam, but he chose to ignore it, and say it anyway. He did that to manufacture his own doctrine that he used to support his other theories. That is not okay. He tried to build truth on a lie.
2. Pastor Murray always said, “Adam” with respect to Adam in Genesis 2, means “ruddy,” which means “to show blood in the face.”
- That’s a lie.
“Adam” (Strong’s: H121) doesn’t mean “ruddy.” It means, “Adam, the name of the first man, also of a place in Palestine.”
Quite the contrary, “man” (H120) means “ruddy,” and the root word means, “To show blood in the face.” The word “man” (H120) is used all over the Old Testament and it refers all people, not just Adam. In fact, man (H120) is used right there in Genesis 1:26 with respect to the creation of man on the sixth day. They all weren’t “ruddy,” they were all races.
Pastor Murray once again distorted Scripture and his flock to teach his version of the truth. He did this to prove Adam was the white race, which transcends to the ancient Israelites, and the white race of today. He fabricated a facet of the Bible to spin his own worldview and make it seem Biblically accurate.
3. Pastor Murray taught the kenites killed Jesus and they are the Jews of today.
- That’s a lie.
I completely debunked that entire theory. I provided all of those details within this study, and those linked at the bottom of it, Who Are The Kenites In The Bible?
Furthermore, it’s impossible to trace the kenites to anyone past the early Old Testament. Attempting to do so is stitching together one’s own doctrine. The Bible said the Israelites killed Jesus, and that it was God’s Plan, (Joh 1:11, Act 3:12-15, 17, 25, 1 Th 2:14-15, Isa 53:4, 10, Act 2:23, Rom 3:25, 8:32).
Lastly, Pastor Murray always provided the meaning of words, but he never told his flock that Jonadab means, “Jehovah largessed” which means “Jehovah generously gifts.” Jonadab was a good man who helped kill all the Baal priests, (2 Ki 10:15-27). Pastor Murray withheld an important truth in order to re-enforce his kenite doctrine.
4. The Shepherd’s Chapel sends their flock a letter that describes the appearance of Jesus (upon request).
- That’s a lie.
There is not a shred of evidence to support the letter. It’s a carefully crafted tactic to make people believe only the Shepherd’s Chapel has the truth. I debunked that entire letter here, The Description Of Jesus Letter Is A Hoax. Shamefully enough, the person who debunked it was Dr. Edgar J. Goodspeed. A respected scholar who the Shepherd’s Chapel commonly referenced, just not in the case of the description of Jesus letter. This letter was used to support Pastor Murray’s theology concerning Adam.
5. Pastor Murray would show a footprint on television and said “the crew here from Shepherd’s Chapel took this moulding from stone.” He stated it was 10 million years old, and came from New Mexico. The point was, the footprint was an angelic one from the World That Then Was.
- That’s a lie.
There is no evidence or documentation to authenticate this footprint. Instead, Pastor Murray is referring to the Zapata Footprint (and here) that is said to be in New Mexico, which has never been proven, and also referred to as a hoax. In this audio clip, you can hear Pastor Murray discussing what I explained for yourself.
Pastor Murray used this footprint as proof that man existed before Adam in the World That Then Was. While true, he fabricated reality to fit his Biblical understanding to get people to buy in. That is not okay. You cannot build a house of truth upon a foundation of lies.
6. Pastor Murray said Mammoths died in an “instant freeze” with buttercups in their mouth.
- That’s a lie.
Pastor Murray repeated a fable from long ago that was disproven. What was actually found in the Mammoth’s mouth, was “pollen of Ranunculus,” pollen of buttercups, not flowers. I explained this, and provided the proof here. This is covered in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper p. 101 which discusses the “Berezovka Mammoth.”
Pastor Murray repeated this story, and sold it that the Mammoth died in an “instant freeze,” and he ties it to the end of the World That Then Was. In this audio clip, you can listen to Pastor Murray discussing this. He also ties in the animals that died at Ashfall Nebraska 12 million years ago. The picture is painted, these animals all died at the end of the World That Was.
However, the Mammoths died 14,000 - 30,000 years ago. Therefore, the same event did not kill these animals as Pastor Murray alludes to. Moreover, the Bible said the World That Then Was ended in a global flood, (Ps 104:5-30, 2 Pet 3:4-6). Not an instant freeze and not in a volcano.
7. Pastor Murray said NASA found the missing day from Joshua 10:13.
- That’s a lie.
Pastor Murray claimed he was “fortunate enough to be in a place” where he “personally saw a hand written account from a NASA official.” According to Pastor Murray, the letter explained NASA found the missing day as explained in Joshua 10:13. Pastor Murray goes on to say, a NASA employee stood up in the room when they found a missing day, and said that’s in the Bible. In this audio clip, you can hear Pastor Murray tell the story.
Unfortunately, this is another fable from the past that Pastor Murray pitched to his flock. It comes from the 1974 book “How to Live Like a King’s Kid” by Harold Hill. That link provides the same exact story, a story that never happened, a story Pastor Murray claims he personally saw. He boldly lied to Christians so they would not only believe he had privileged knowledge, but to add veracity to the Biblical story.
8. Pastor Murray said he was the first to properly translate the “Bat Creek Stone” in Loudoun County Tennessee.
- That’s a lie.
There is not a shred of evidence that indicates Pastor Murray was ever associated with it, or even came in contact with it, much less was the first to translate it. He simply said that to build authority with his flock.
9. Pastor Murray said the Song of Moses concerns the kenites. He goes on to explain, the reference to “their spot is not our spot” speaks of the mark of the kenite and ties them to their father the devil.
- That’s a lie.
God said, the Song of Moses was a testament against the Israelites and a reminder when they fell away, (Deut 31:19-21). It had nothing to do with “kenites.” Pastor Murray always mentioned when words were misplaced in Scripture, or what their meanings were, except when it went against his theology.
Nearly all scholars know the proper reading of Deuteronomy 32:5 is,
They have corrupted themselves, their spot
isnotthe spotof his children:they area perverse and crooked generation.
The spot of the Israelites, was not the spot (mark) of their Heavenly Father, but it had become the mark of a people who embraced false gods. Instead of pointing this fact out, Pastor Murray tied it to the kenite doctrine he stitched together to make it more creditable.
10. Pastor Murray said, since Cain was cursed from tilling the ground, this meant the kenites or Jews of today cannot farm, though they can own farms.
- That’s a lie.
The Bible says children do not inherit their parents sin, (Eze 18:20).
In Genesis 4:12, God said Cain was to be a “fugitive and a vagabond” in the earth. If Pastor Murray was correct, then it would contradict the Bible, and also mean the Jews should be “fugitives and vagabonds” today. He knew that, but withheld these critical details to stitch together more kenite doctrine.
Moreover, in Genesis 3:17-18, God cursed Adam’s ability to till the soil as well. God said, “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” Yet, that’s never mentioned within the church doctrine, as it would conflict with their theology.
Unfortunately, the Shepherd’s Chapel, like some other churches have distorted Scripture to fit their own theology. My concern with the church in question, they knowingly and willingly distorted the Bible to create a unique theology, and they built on it to provide themselves with authority. You cannot build truth on lies, you cannot build authority on lies, eventually, they come to light.
To his credit, Pastor Murray always taught his flock to study for yourself. To check out his work, yet very few ever followed his advice.
I did follow his advice. I found myself disagreeing with him often, but told myself, we will never all agree. The problem arose when I found the church was manufacturing lies to support their doctrine. It shook me to my core. I know firsthand how easy it is to trust people we respect and admire, I’m a victim of that.
While Pastor Murray has passed on, these things are worth bringing to light since the church is still active. I simply cannot allow our site to be used to send unknowing Christians to a church that deceives its own flock.