G. K. Beale

I published Elder Michael Ivey’s essay on the Olivet Discourse in two previous posts (here and here). It contradicts my prophetic framework (i.e., inmillennialism) and, therefore, my view of Paul’s “rapture passage” (1 Thess 4:13–5:11). I am responding to that essay: last week’s post contained Part 1; here, I will…

I published Elder Michael Ivey’s essay on the Olivet Discourse in my last two posts (here and here). It contradicts my prophetic framework (i.e., inmillennialism) and, therefore, my view of Paul’s “rapture passage” (1 Thess 4:13–5:11).  None of the popular prophetic models accept my thesis regarding the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24–25;…

Our last two posts on First Thessalonians provided key information about Paul’s “rapture” passage (i.e., 1 Thess 4:13–5:11). First, his aim was to assure the Thessalonians that their dead brothers and sisters would be at no disadvantage during the messianic-age parousia (presence) of the Lord Jesus with his people. Second, the…

G. K. Beale agrees with at least one point in our first post on Acts (here). He says the “last days” were a reality in the book of Acts. Christians of that period were “the actual beginning fulfillment of the prophesied spiritual resurrection of Israel that was to transpire in…

Current prophetic models imply Paul made mistakes about the “the day of the Lord.” They say that, on that day, deceased Christian will rise to leave their graves empty. Living Christians will receive glorified bodies and fly to join them. Paul thought he and/or his contemporaries would live to see…

We now come face-to-face with an evil triad. The Seven Mystic Figures vision has already revealed the Dragon (Rev. 12:3–17) and the Sea Beast (Rev. 13:1–10). Now John introduces us to the Land Beast (Rev. 13:11–18). “This second beast completes the triumvirate of evil—the dragon, the sea beast, and the…

The Seven Mystic Figures vision makes a slight change to the timeframe of the first two judgment visions. They concentrated on the “great tribulation” Jesus predicted in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:1–3, 21, 34; Rev. 7:14). This vision focuses on the entire generation of Jesus’s life on earth. It begins with…

One proof of a good theory is its ability to suggest answers to difficult problems. We have seen how our prophetic model—inmillennialism—does this in Hebrews. We are now applying this framework to John’s visions in Revelation. The complications increase here due to the many prophetic images in this book, but,…

The message is hard to avoid: Caesar is Lord! Coins circulate throughout the Roman Empire proclaiming the Emperor’s divinity. The “divine” power has increased since Julius, the first Caesar, established the Empire in 49 BC. One of his successors, Nero, now uses it in every area of life. In the…