Scripture Revealed

A Revelation of Jesus Christ – Revelation 1:1

The Logos

The Four Evangelists, by Pieter Soutman, 17th century
The Four Evangelists, by Pieter Soutman, 17th Century

 

 

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “Logos” as:

1:  the divine wisdom manifest in the creation, government, and redemption of the world and often identified with the second person of the Trinity

2:  reason that in ancient Greek philosophy is the controlling principle in the universe

John 1:1-4 (KJV)  – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  The same was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 (KJV)  – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Gospel of John begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).  Here John clearly states that this “Word” was not only with God, but this “Word” was God. Then in verse 14 John states that this (...)

Antichrist And The Man Of Sin

 

Antichrist and the Devil. Detail from the Deeds of the Antichrist fresco by Luca Signorelli, c. 1501
Antichrist and the Devil. Detail from the Deeds of the Antichrist fresco by Luca Signorelli, c. 1501

Introduction

Part of the end time speculation is the rise of a world ruler.  Many believe that this individual will first step on the world’s stage as a hero.  Then he will show himself to be an evil villain.  This world ruler is thought to be “the Antichrist” and “the Man of Sin” described in the Bible.

Christians across denominational lines anticipate the soon arrival of this individual.  As the belief goes, this adversary will arise shortly before the return of Christ.  Many prophecy teachers connect “the Antichrist” with “the Man of Sin”.   For good measure, they lump in the “beast of the sea” mentioned in Revelation chapter 13.

Antichrist(s) – of the Bible

 John, the Apostle, is the only one who uses the expression “antichrist”.  John used the phrase just five times in four different verses.  These are the ONLY scriptures that mention “antichrist”:

  • 1 John 2:18 (KJV) “ye have heard that antichrist shall come.”
  • 1 John 2:18 (KJV) ” even now are there many antichrists.“
  • 1 John 2:22 (KJV)  “He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the
(...)

Seed of Abraham

Isaac embraces his father Abraham after the Binding of Isaac, early 1900s Bible illustration
Isaac embraces his father Abraham after the Binding of Isaac, early 1900s Bible illustration

If you’ve ever attended a Christian Sunday school class perhaps you sang about “Father Abraham”.  The song goes like this:

Father Abraham had many sons

Many sons had Father Abraham

I am one of them and so are you

So let’s all praise the Lord……..

Abraham is called the father of the faithful (Gal. 3:16-29; Rom. 4:11) and “the friend of God” (Jas. 2:23). He is an example to us in many ways, therefore, it is always good to study him and learn from that which the Bible reveals to us about him.  The Biblical account of Abraham starts with God making the following promises to him:

 

  • I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
  • I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
  • I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
  • And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

Genesis 12:2-3(KJV) – “And I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be

(...)

Preaching the Gospel – To the Whole World

Titus Arch in Rome - Prophecy in Matthew 24 - Destruction of the Temple in 70 AD
Titus Arch in Rome – Prophecy in Matthew 24 – Destruction of the Temple in 70 AD

A friend from India recently shared with me that he and his family were “Saint Thomas Christians”.  At the time I had not known that Saint Thomas had evangelized the nation of India.   I had assumed (wrongfully) that all Indians followed the Hindu religion or were perhaps Muslims.  The Saint Thomas Christians refer to themselves in this way because their tradition holds that their ancestors, who all came from the high castes of Hindu society, were converted by the Saint Thomas (the Apostle), who landed in India around 52 AD.  History tells us that Saint Thomas died a martyr’s death in India. Pilgrimages to his tomb have always been an important element in the religious life of the St Thomas Christian community.  So in the first century A.D., from its’ origin in Jerusalem, the gospel had reached the people living in far away India!  Saint Thomas was doing his part to spread the gospel of the kingdom throughout the world of his day.  Saint Thomas was fulfilling Jesus’ call to preach the gospel of the kingdom “in all the world for a (...)

The 70th Week of Daniel – A Gap?

Daniel's Answer To The King - Briton Rivière
Daniel’s Answer To The King – Briton Rivière

The Gap Theory

I’m sure most Christians are familiar with the debate about whether Jesus Christ will return for His church before, during or after the seven years of tribulation.  These three interpretations are referred to as the “pre-trib”, “mid-trib” and the “post-trib” views.  For years, yours truly got caught up in this debate.  During this entire period I never once asked the question “does the Bible teach that Daniel chapter 27 refers to a future seven-year period of tribulation” in the first place? 

Well, guess what I found?  Or should I say what I didn’t find?  What I haven’t found is any specific Bible text that predicts a future seven-year tribulation period.  Whether we are speaking of  a “pre,” “mid” or “post” return of Christ for His church, the entire “theory” is based on an interpretation of one primary scripture, Daniel 9:27. 

Here’s the Daniel 9:27 scripture:

Daniel 9:27 (KJV) – He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…

Many modern Bible prophecy teachers take great liberties in interpreting (...)

The Battle of Armageddon – Past or Future?

Catapulta, by Edward Poynter (1868). Siege engines such as this were employed by the Roman army during the siege.
Catapulta, by Edward Poynter (1868). Siege engines such as this were employed by the Roman army during the siege.

Many Christians have been taught that the Battle of Armageddon will be the greatest military conflict in history.  In this conflict, the armies of the world will gather to wage war against Christ in the Valley of Armageddon.  As the teaching goes, Christ will return to earth with His saints.  Christ will destroy the armies of “the Antichrist” with violent judgments and will set up a new world order at Jerusalem.  Reference to Armageddon is made in only one place in our Bibles – Revelation 16:16:

 Revelation 16:16 (KJV) – And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

 Sell Books – Write About “Armageddon”!

 I did a quick search on the Amazon.com website for books and videos containing the word Armageddon.  The search yielded 293 hits!  The subject of Armageddon certainly is popular today.  You can be sure that any book or movie containing the word Armageddon will certainly grab the attention of an unsuspecting public.  While most of these works are classed as “fiction” the authors tend to believe that nonetheless, (...)

America In Bible Prophecy

Engraving of Daniel's vision of the four beasts in chapter 7 by Matthäus Merian, 1630
Engraving of Daniel’s vision of the four beasts in chapter 7 by Matthäus Merian, 1630

 

 

 

 

Is the United States of America found in prophecy?  Many prophecy teachers claim that the United States, Great Britain, Russian and other modern nations are mentioned in the Bible.  Most of these prophecy teachers place great importance on the “Beasts” found in Daniel 7:1-28.  Let’s look at a portion of these scriptures:

Daniel 7:3-7 (KJV) – And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a

(...)

The Abomination of Desolation

The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem, Painting by David Roberts (1850)
The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem,
Painting by David Roberts (1850)

Have you ever heard the term “newspaper exegesis”?  What exactly is “newspaper exegesis”?  Well, it’s reading the news headlines into the Bible in an attempt to understand a prophetic scripture instead of letting the Bible speak for itself.  Quite honestly in years past I have been guilty of using “newspaper exegesis” in an attempt to interpret the prophetic word of God.

Olivet Discourse

A starting place for anyone studying prophecy is the Lord’s Olivet Discourse found in Matthew chapter 24.  A favorite past time of many Christians is to take verses in Matthew 24 out of context and then run over to newspapers (or the internet) to see which prophecy is being fulfilled that day.  A favorite topic is the “abomination of desolation.”.  This subject, along with the “Antichrist” and “The Mark of the Beast” is the subject of books that are selling by the millions.  So what should we think of all this?

First, the word “abomination” appears more than 100 times in the Old Testament and just a few times in the New Testament.  An “abomination” is normally a great sin which is usually (...)

Man

man

I ran across this poem this morning.   It really touched my heart and really hit home with me.

“Man” -a poem by Pentecostal Pioneer John Baptist Thomas, former missionary to Iraq and founder of the First Pentecostal Church of New Orleans.

 

If every day a man should labor
From childhood till he’s old,
What would it profit tho he gained the world,
If at last he lost his soul?

Man is like a little flower
With glory for a time,
Then he sees the shining sickle
And hears the death bells chime.

The doors are closed, the windows dark,
The sound of grinding is low.
It matters not how strong he is,
His time has come to go.

And ere the silver card is loosed,
Oh mortal fading fame,
The dust to earth, The spirit returns
To God from where it came.

John Baptist Thomas
Baghdad, Iraq
July 12, 1930(...)

Pearly Gates and Streets of Gold

Folio 55r of the Bamberg Apocalypse. Depicts the Angel showing John the New Jerusalem, with the Lamb of God at its center.
Folio 55r of the Bamberg Apocalypse.
Depicts the Angel showing John the New Jerusalem, with the Lamb of God at its center.

The Nature of the Book

One of the most misunderstood scriptures in our Bible centers around Revelation 21:21. This is the “pearly gates”, “street of gold” scripture.  Should we take this scripture literally?  Let’s explore what the scriptures reveal.

Revelation is undoubtedly a unique book. While considered part of the New Testament, it is different from other books of the New Testament. More importantly, it is different from styles of writing used today. Revelation is apocalyptic. The word ‘revelation’ in Greek is “apokalupsis”, which means ‘an uncovering’ or ‘unveiling.’ Thus, Revelation is a book that was intended to reveal, not conceal! The book is an example of apocalyptic literature.

Apocalyptic Literature

Apocalyptic literature is a literary style popular from 200 B.C. to 200 A.D. It is a style known for highly symbolic or figurative language written during times of persecution. It usually depicts the conflict between good and evil while encouraging the righteous to persevere. Other examples of apocalyptic literature are parts of Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Matthew chapter 24.

While the book of (...)

Back to top