Related: The Grave of Christ   The Sign of the Prophet Jonah. When the apostate Jewish leaders asked Jesus for a sign (after rejecting many others), Jesus replied: “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the […]

Related: Sadducees; Sanhedrin; Essenes; Herodians; Leaven   Pharisees. This name comes from the Hebrew word ‘parash’ which means ‘to separate’. This was a name given to a religious sect among the Jews beginning in the 2nd century BC, who called themselves ‘chasidim’, which means ‘pious ones.’ The movement began with good intentions in the era of […]

Spiritual blessings “in Christ Jesus”. All of our distinctive Christian blessings are said to be “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). We have them because of our standing before God. We cannot earn them; they are freely given to us by God! This is our spiritual inheritance. What are these blessings? Election (Eph. 1:4) Predestination (Eph. 1:5; Rom. 8:29) […]

Related: Pharisees; Sadducees   Essenes. This was one of three primary sects of the Jews in the first century. The sect arose apparently out of disgust for both the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were a monastic order, emphasizing isolation, a vegetarian diet, and celibacy. The name “Essenes” is not found in scripture, but they were […]

Related: Light   Various forms of Love. There are four different Greek words for love, and the distinctions between them are important to understand. The four words are: Eros, Storge, Philia, and Agape. Eros. This is love in a romantic sense; e.g. love between husband and wife. It the most “fiery” type of love, but also the most shallow […]

Related: Sanctification; Reconciliation; Rom. 3:24; Rom. 5:1   Justification. The verb “to justify” means ‘to declare a person righteous’. A nice example of this is in Num. 23:21, where God declared that He had not seen any iniquity in His erring people. Likewise, the Christian has been justified in that, while he has not lived righteously, yet God has declared […]

Reconciliation (Col. 1:20-22; Eph. 2:16; Rom. 5:11; 2 Cor. 5:18-19) has to do with God’s work of bringing lost and guilty sinners back to Himself. Reconciliation deals with alienation, and the feelings of enmity that are in the heart of the sinner. Alienation and enmity are the result of man’s sin. The fault is on our […]

The World. When scripture uses the word “world” it usually means one of three things, although sometimes there is a blend between them. The Greek word is kosmos, and in the broadest definition it means an ordered system. The World-place (“the planet”). In the most basic sense, the term refers to the literal planet earth. An […]

Main article: The Prophetic Week Related: The Great Tribulation   “And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17). The Jewish remnant is one of the most important people-groups in prophecy. Much […]

Related: Pharisees; Sadducees   The Sanhedrin (the Council, Acts 23:1) was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees. The word sanhedrin or sanhedrim means ‘a sitting together’, and is most often translated “the council”. The word comes up an number of times in scripture; e.g. Matt. 5:22; Matt. 26:59; Mark 14:55; Mark 15:1. The Sanhedrin was […]

Related: The Assembly; The Body of Christ; The Bride of Christ; Office   The House of God. The term ‘House of God’ basically means the “dwelling-place” of God. In a greater sense, the universe is the house of God (Heb. 3:4; Acts 7:48-50; Isa. 66:1). But on earth, God had a physical house in the […]

Dispensational Days. There are three time periods referred to in scripture as “days”. They provide a simple yet helpful way to organize world history: not only past and present, but future as well. The “day of man” (1 Cor. 4:3) began in Genesis, either with Adam when he fell, or (more likely) with Cain, who went out from the […]

Judgment of the Quick. “The judgment of the quick” (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). The judgment of the “quick” or living is when the Lord will deal with the living persons on earth, at the START of the Millennium. It includes: The Harvest Judgment (Rev. 14:14-16, Matt. 13:39-43), The Vintage or Winepress Judgment (Rev. 14:17-20; Isa. […]

Redemption. The term “redemption” means to be “bought back and set free”. It is often compared with the term “purchased” or “bought”, as redemption includes purchase, but goes beyond to include setting the purchased object free! The subject of redemption is introduced in the book of Exodus,14 where Israel were slaves in the land of […]

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. “For this reason I say unto you, Every sin and injurious speaking shall be forgiven to men, but speaking injuriously of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. And whosoever shall have spoken a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against […]

Main article: The Prophetic Week Related: The Great Tribulation   The Beginning of Sorrows. The first 3 1/2 years of Daniel’s seventieth week is called “The Beginning of Sorrows” (Matt. 24:8). During this period the first six seals of Revelation are unfolded. It begins when The Beast makes a covenant with Israel, and ends when “the […]

Related: Pharisees; Herodians; Sanhedrin; Essenes; Leaven    Sadducees. This name comes from ‘Zadok’, or ‘Sadoc’, the promised line of priests in Israel who descended through Phinehas. In the gospel narratives, the Sadducees are more closely connected with the chief priests (Acts 5:17), although the office of High Priest moved between the Pharisees and Sadducees at times. During the […]

Main article: The Sufferings of Christ   Christ’s Sympathetic Sufferings are what Christ felt as He sympathized with others in their circumstances. There are at least two reasons for these sufferings: (1) His deep compassion for others, and (2) that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest.    With joy we meditate the […]