Messianic age

The year is AD 66. Nero Caesar has banished John, the last living apostle, to the Island of Patmos “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Nero, who sometimes wears the skin of a beast while performing despicable acts of torture, has been murdering Christians…

Background information lends texture to many biblical statements. Rarely does that information determine orthodoxy or even how we should apply the lessons of Scripture to our lives. Still, knowing the context in which a writer sends forth his sentences sometimes helps us appreciate the nuances of divine inspiration. Let’s consider…

The words from the flight attendant always filled me with joy and happiness: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Memphis International Airport.” My job required me to  travel out of town a few times each year. While I was away, I experienced the words first penned in Francis Davison’s Poetical Rhapsody…

“I know that’s what it says, but that is not what it means,” said my red-faced father to my maternal grandfather. Grandpa Smith had a second-grade education but loved God. I often saw him read the Bible and pray with tears streaming down his cheeks. He was also a died-in-the-wool…

This post will continue tracing Paul’s thoughts as he persuades the Hebrews to stay true to their profession of faith in Christ. They must not cling to the Temple-based worship instituted by Moses but embrace the word God had now spoken through his Son. Paul presents his arguments in a…

We are tracing Paul’s arguments in Hebrews that show how Christianity excels Judaism. We contend that Inmillennialism supports his reasoning well. This will hold true as he takes the next step: Christianity excels Judaism because Christ excels Moses (Heb. 3:1–4:13). Paul supports his argument in ways that affect our prophetic…

We have completed the inmillennial prophetic model. Future posts will add other details, but the basic structure is now available to help us interpret Scripture. We will begin doing so with a series of posts dealing with the letter to the Hebrews. The identity of the author of Hebrews is…

Turmoil often accompanies the inauguration of a new government. Even stable nations sometimes experience disruptions to the social, economic, and political order during transitions of power. As contrasts between the new and the old become starker, the protests against the change become more severe. Jesus’ disciples understood how the inauguration…

Our previous post asserted the Olivet Discourse has a single topic—Jesus’ prophecy of the Temple’s destruction. We showed how the disciples correctly associated that event with the end of the Mosaic age. Here we wish to show how the other part of the disciples’ sign question—“what shall be the sign of…