Scripture Revealed

A Revelation of Jesus Christ – Revelation 1:1

Tag: End of the world

World Without End – Amen!

World Without End – Amen!

End of the World or End of an Age?


The world is coming to an end!  Why?  Because the Bible says so!  Or does it?  Modern Bible prophecy teachers declare that we are living in the last days and that these are the end times!  But does scripture predict an end of time?

What exactly does the Bible mean when it mentions “the last days”?  It is important to define Biblical terms.  Does scripture define the term “the last days” as the end of time or simply the end of an age?  What does scripture reveal about this important subject?  Let us start at the beginning – in the book of Genesis.  In Genesis chapter 6 we read the account of God destroying the world with a flood.  Then in Genesis 8:21 the Lord declares that he will never again destroy every living creature “as I have done.” 

Genesis 8:21-22 (KJV)  – And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living,

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Perilous Times Shall Come!

Perilous Times Shall Come!

This past August I decided to reward my two youngest children by taking them and their mother on a Caribbean cruise.  It was their first cruise and trip out of this country.  We packed our bags and away we went.  Of course one of the best parts of cruising is the shore excursions.  There were many shore excursions to choose from on our three country stops.  One activity that I wanted to introduce my children to was snorkeling.  So during our stop in Roatan, Honduras we decided to snorkel in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean.

As Christians, we believe in modest dress.  It is possible to dress modestly even when going for a swim or in our case snorkeling.  I can guarantee that my wife and daughter weren’t wearing bikinis nor were my son and I in Speedos!

Upon arrival at the snorkeling location, we saw a group of young Honduran men waiting at the end of the pier.  These young men would serve as guides for our snorkeling adventure.  One of the guides, however, hurriedly made a beeline for us.  His name was Omar, and unlike his counterparts, he was modestly dressed.  Omar introduced himself and explained (...)

False Christs and False Prophets During the Lifetime of Jesus

False Christs and False Prophets During the Lifetime of Jesus

 

Are there false Christs and prophets today?  Of course, there are!  What about in the first century?  This article will explore that question.  Jesus warned His first-century followers to “take heed.”  The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke serve as warnings to the disciples of Jesus.  Jesus was addressing His disciples in the first century.

Matthew 24:3-5 (KJV)  – And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mark 13:21-22 (KJV)  – And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Luke 21:8 (KJV)  – And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am

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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 Great Tribulation

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

One of the most difficult passages in the Bible is found in Matthew chapter 24. Referred to as the Olivet Discourse, this part of the Bible is the main jumping off point for a lot of the prophecy teachings regarding a period called “the end time” or “the last days.” Matthew 24 is a frightening scripture that mentions earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, famines, and pestilences, among the few calamities in store for planet earth. As the teaching goes, all of these horrible things will be a sign that the “end of the world” is right around the corner.

Endtime Industry

Over the years, I began to realize that there is an entire industry that has grown up focusing on the “end time.” There are books, movies, conferences and seminars that support this area of Bible study. The basic pitch is that terrible stuff is coming! And why is that? Because they believe that the Bible tells them so. The pitchmen declare that they know best how to interpret all this apocalyptic imagery and symbolism. Of course, to avoid all this bad stuff you need to purchase their (...)

“There Should Be Time No Longer”

meltingclock
Salvador Dali’s painting ‘The Persistence of Memory”

Revelation 10:6 (KJV) – “And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.“

A close friend of mine asked me to consider what Revelation 10:6 means in regards to the statement that “there should be time no longer”. Her thinking was that this verse is prophesying that in our future, we will get to the end of time. Time would cease to exist. The implication was that this earthly realm and our existence would end. My response to her was “Let me study the scriptures”.

My first task was to look up this scripture in other Bible translations besides the King James Version. Then I would consult Bible commentaries to see how noted Bible scholars interpreted Revelation 10:6 in regards to”time being no more”. First let’s look at some other popular translations:

Searching Other Bible Translations

American Standard Version (ASV): Revelation 10:6 – “And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven (...)

The Last Days – of What?

siege of jerusalem
Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by Francesco Hayez. Depicts the destruction of the Second Temple by Roman soldiers. Oil on canvas, 1867.

Ever since I’ve been a Christian, I’ve heard about how we are living “in the last days”. The belief is that we are living in the “last days” just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. While this certainly may be the case, a close reading of the scriptures indicates that the writers of the New Testament believed that they were living in the “last days”. Or that the “last days” had arrived for them. The Apostles referred to the “last days” and the “last times” in such a tone that reveals the writer’s beliefs. When the New Testament writers used the terms “last days” and “last times” were they referring to the end of the world? Or something entirely different?

1 John 2:18 (KJV) – “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (John the Apostle, 1 John 2:18, First Century)

In the above scripture, John was linking the arrival of (...)

Melting Elements

periodic table
Periodic Table of Elements

Back to Chemistry Class

Do you remember studying the periodic table of the chemical elements in your high school chemistry class? The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, organized on the basis of their atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus), electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. Elements are presented in order of increasing atomic number, which is typically listed with the chemical symbol in each box.

Now let’s look at a scripture that mentions the heavens passing “away with a great noise” and the “elements” melting with fervent heat.

2 Peter 3:10 (KVJ) – “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

Now this scripture is a challenge to understand due to the use of the word “elements”. What does that word “elements” really mean? Is the word “elements” in 2nd Peter 3:10 referring to the “elements” listed in the periodic table of chemicals? Is Peter predicting atomic warfare on a (...)

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