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Scripture Revealed

A Revelation of Jesus Christ - Revelation 1:1

Category Archives: The Church

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The Binding of Satan

What does the binding of Satan mean?  Revelation chapter 20 verses one thru three mentions the binding of Satan.  These passages are about Satan being bound at the beginning of “the one-thousand-year reign of Christ.”   Here’s the scripture in Revelation chapter 20:

Revelation 20:1-3 (KJV) 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.

Many Christians assume that neither the Kingdom of God in which Christ is king or “the binding of Satan” has taken place.  But is this the testimony of scripture.  Is this what the scriptures teach?  Let’s explore this subject together to learn what the scriptures reveal!

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Commissioning the Twelve Apostles depicted by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1481.
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The Apostles Doctrine

Easy Believism vs. The Doctrine!

Modern Christianity often attempts to remove the absolutes of the scriptures.  What I call easy believism seems to be the hallmark of many churches in this day.  What do the scriptures reveal regarding this vital subject?  What is doctrine?  And what exactly is the Apostles Doctrine?  Doesn’t doctrine tend to divide people?  Can’t we all just follow the leading of the Holy Spirit?   One fact is certain, and that is the 1st Century Church continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine.

Many Christians tend to shy away from any discussion of doctrine.  First off what exactly is doctrine?  Well, it’s simple!  Doctrine is simply a body of principles presented for acceptance of belief.  In other words, it’s something that is taught; a teaching.  No one can escape doctrine.  Everyone, whether they know it or not, believes and practices some type of doctrine.  And that doctrine may be true, or it may be false.  The early church experienced explosive growth because of the apostle’s doctrine.

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Who Is Your Momma?

Early in the book of Galatians, Paul, the Apostle, pointed to a problem for the Galatian believers.  What Paul identified was that some of the Galatian Christians wanted to impose Judaic customs on other believers.  Some Galatians believed that Mosaic (Jewish) customs were essential to salvation while others claimed they were essential for spiritual growth.  In Galatians, we see Paul strongly arguing against these ideas and teachings.

Paul starts his letter to the Galatians by defending the Gospel and his Apostleship.  Paul reminds them that his salvation and growth as a Christian was independent of men and even separate from the Apostles in Jerusalem.  Paul comes out against the teaching that Diaspora believers must become like Judaics to be right with God.

Paul makes it clear to the Galatians that the only true children of Abraham were believers in Jesus Christ whether they be Judeans or Diaspora believers. In fact, Paul states that believers in Jesus Christ are the true inheritors and heirs of the Abrahamic Covenant which includes all its blessings and promises.

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The Elders

According to the Bible, the focal point all church leadership is the elder.  But who, according to the Bible, is an elder?  Well, an elder is one of a number of biblically qualified men who jointly shepherd and oversee a local body of believers.  The word that is translated “elder” is used almost twenty times in the book of Acts and the epistles.

The Office of Elder

There are numerous passages in the New Testament that indicate that the words “elder” (presbyter), “overseer” (episkopos), and “pastor” (poimen) all refer to the same group of men or office.  Some think that overseers and pastors are distinct from elders, but this is not the case.  All of these terms are simply different ways of identifying the same group of men.  There is a parallel between the qualifications for a bishop (episkopos) in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and those for an elder (presbuteros) in Titus 1:6-9.  Paul uses both terms to refer to the same man (presbuteros in 1 Tim.

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Kingdom of God. Christ Handing the Keys to St. Peter by Pietro Perugino (1481-82)
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Which Kingdom Did Jesus Come to Establish?

Did Christ come to set up an earthly kingdom? Did Jesus come to establish two kingdoms?  Many of the Hebrews believed that Christ was to come to re-establish the earthly political kingdom of Israel. Many Judaic and Christian Zionists believe the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 is a precursor to the physical, millennial reign of the Judaic Messiah. However, the scriptures declare that the kingdom of God was “at hand” in the first century A.D.

Believers were told to repent and believe in the gospel “for the kingdom of God was at hand.”  So did Christ bring the kingdom of God to his people? Are will there be a future physical millennial kingdom of Israel? Let’s explore what the scriptures reveal.

The Ancient Kingdom of Israel

Abraham’s children left Canaan for Egypt, but God promised Abraham that his seed would be regathered back to the promise land. Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt during the Exodus. Under Joshua’s leadership, the Israelites conquered Canaan and divided the land by lots of inheritance.

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The Nature of the Kingdom of God

What is the nature of the Kingdom of God?  What do the scriptures reveal about the Kingdom of God?  Are we to expect a physical Kingdom here on earth?  Scripture has a lot to say about this subject.  Jesus Christ manifested Himself to bring this Kingdom into reality.  The phrase “Kingdom of God” appears sixty-nine (69) times in the King James Version Bible.  That fact alone should give us a sense of the importance of the “Kingdom of God.”  The phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” is found thirty-two (32) times in the KJV.  Other phrases used by Jesus such as “my kingdom” are used five (5) times.  In my opinion, the main message that Jesus and John the Baptist proclaimed was the arrival of the “Kingdom of God.”  First, let’s look at how the Jews of the first century received that message.

A Conquering King?

The Jews of the first century, living under the heavy yoke of the Roman government, yearned for a conquering King that would throw off that yoke. 

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Antichrist And The Man Of Sin

 

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.


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Seed of Abraham

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 a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curesth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Genesis chapter 12 is often referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant. 

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Pearly Gates and Streets of Gold

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.

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The Gift of the Holy Ghost

 

This is the fourth and final article addressing the subject of salvation and what it means to “believe the gospel”. The first article was entitled Salvation – the Gospel. The second article was entitled Repent and Believe the Gospel! The third article was entitled Water Baptism – Burial.

The final step in the gospel plan is to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost was preached by Peter in Acts 2:38.

Acts 2:38 (KJV) – “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Notice that the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) is referred to as a “gift” from God. Many have argued that the “Holy Ghost” is not for us today or that it is not essential for salvation. We will discuss these arguments later in this article. However, is there any sincere Christian that would turn down a “gift” that God has for them?

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