Scripture Revealed

A Revelation of Jesus Christ – Revelation 1:1

Year: 2016

Earthquakes! Sign of the End Times?

images.duckduckgo.comWe Are The Earthquake Generation?

I was born and raised in south Louisiana!  In all my years living “way down south” I can’t remember having experienced even one earthquake.  Hurricanes we have lots of but not earthquakes.  However, when I lived on Hokkaido, Japan for a year I experienced my first of many small earth tremors.  When that first earth tremor hit, I can remember thinking “what in the world was that?”  Just a little earth tremor, nothing to worry about – no damage was done!  I could just imagine what a real earthquake must feel like.

Years ago, in the early 80’s, while studying Bible prophecy, I remember reading a book entitled “We Are the Earthquake Generation” by Jeffery Goodman.  You can still purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.com for 1 penny plus $3.99 shipping!  Wow, the shipping costs more than the book.  It predicted that California and much of the West coast of the United States would suffer massive earthquakes and fall into the ocean by 2000.   Oops – didn’t happen did it?  Today more

Today more “end time” prophets are still predicting the “end of the world” as we know it.  Especially anytime there’s a (...)

Damascus, Syria - scene from the current civil war!
Damascus, Syria – scene from the current civil war!

 

Damascus is the capital of Syria.  It’s the second largest city in Syria with a population of about 2.6 million. The country of Syria is a midst of a civil war. Some factions of Syria are trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, most  Syrians support the more westernized Assad.   Islamist factions led by the Muslim Brotherhood are fighting for control of the country. Syrian rebels, defecting military personnel and foreign jihadists are fighting the Syrian army near and in the city of Damascus.

There’s been a lot of news lately regarding the civil war that is currently raging in Syria. There’s renewed talk of sending additional American soldiers to Syria – “boots on the ground”  as it is called.  There is a prophecy regarding the destruction of the capital city of Syria, Damascus in Isaiah chapter 17.  And because of the latest developments in Syria, prophecy teachers are coming worth pointing to the soon imminent fulfillment of the Isaiah 17 prophecy.

Isaiah 17:1-3 (KJV)  – The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. 2  The cities

(...)

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 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
(...)
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

(...)
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 (...)

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 (...)

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