MESSAGE FOR THE LAST DAYS – INTRODUCTION Readers of any long, difficult book will know the temptation to skip to the last pages to find out what happens in the end. But there is no satisfaction in taking such a shortcut. The sum of the narrative ebbs and flows provide the conclusion its power and … Read More
BIBLE INTERPRETATION PRINCIPLES A key to understanding the Bible is learning how to properly interpret it through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He guides us to principles of Bible interpretation. Sounds simple. However, cultural traditions and personal biases complicate our efforts. Another barrier arises from the biblical concept that there are three realms of … Read More
THE LAND COVENANT To gain an understanding of end-time events, the best place to start is in the book of Genesis. We’ll examine Adam’s fall into sin in Genesis 3, then move on to the covenant God formed with Abraham. Let’s look at verse 15 as God curses the serpent that led Adam and Eve … Read More
PROMISED LAND AS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN What is the big deal with the land covenant? How does it relate to the new covenant or eternal life in heaven? Is there any lingering spiritual significance to a certain small piece of land in the Middle East? Would building a temple in the heart of Jerusalem … Read More
THE NEW COVENANT What do biblical writers mean when they talk about a generic “covenant” or an “old covenant” in contrast to the new or final covenant? The very name of the Old Testament creates some confusion. “Testament” and “covenant” have the same meaning. This prompts us to err by lumping the Abrahamic covenant and … Read More
CHRIST’S INHERITANCE We must remember that the conditional covenant God made with Moses and the nation of Israel did not supersede or nullify the Abrahamic promise.[footnote]See Galatians 3 and Romans 11:28–29.[/footnote] So while Christ fulfilled the terms of the law to redeem us, he wasn’t necessarily focused on the Mosaic law in particular, but on … Read More
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST In many algebra textbooks, the solutions appear in the back of the book. But students quickly discover that copying these answers down will not help them understand how to solve algebraic equations. What a student must do is apply what he has learned to a problem, then see if his … Read More
THE RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS The resurrection of the righteous (also known as the saints or the just) is part of a judgment process; the relationship between resurrection and judgment will be discussed further in chapters 14 and 15. For now we will focus on resurrection. God’s gift of salvation entails the receipt of an … Read More
RESTING AT DEATH What does it mean to be raised physically, to appear with God in glory, or to see God as he is? What will our bodies be like in the resurrection? Like the bodies of angels.[footnote]See Matthew 22:30 and Luke 20:36.[/footnote] Our bodies will be transformed to be just like Christ’s resurrected body, … Read More
CULTURAL MYTHS OF LIFE AFTER DEATH Greek mythological influence has infiltrated Christianity since its origins. In the early days of the Church. Since Gnosticism and other beliefs were pronounced as departures from biblical teaching, early leaders of the Church easily quelled and discarded such heretical arguments. But Greek culture continued to quietly influence the Church, … Read More