Related: The Assembly; The Ground of Gathering What are assembly meetings? There is a difference between the times when believers are gathered together “in assembly” (1 Cor. 11:18) and the times when believers meet together for recreational purposes, casual fellowship, or even a bible study. Assembly meetings are official meetings, where the assembly comes together in […]
Related: Church Heresies Gnosticism. The word Gnostic comes from the Greek word ‘gnosis’, which means knowledge. The word is used by historians to describe a school of thought. Gnosticism arose from a group of evil workers who claimed to have higher light, special spiritual knowledge, or “secret wisdom”. This movement began in the days […]
“The Mystery”. Often we think of a “mystery” as something that is difficult to discover or decipher. Paul does not use the word in this way. Rather, it refers to a secret counsel of God that was previously unknown in the Old Testament, but now revealed and made plain. It could not be known by […]
What is sin? An important yet grim subject in scripture is that of sin. Sin is the reason for pain, suffering, and sorrow. Sin is the reason for death. Sin is the reason why Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross. Sin the reason the present universe will one day be dissolved, and […]
Main article: Key Players and Terms in Prophecy Related: The Personal Beast; The King of the North The King of kings and Lord of lords is a reference to Christ returning from heaven in a warrior character (Rev. 19:11-16; Rev. 17:14). He will come “judging and making war in righteousness”. Accompanying Him will be […]
Satan’s Fall. It would appear that the original creation (Gen. 1:1) was committed to the hands of angels, over which Satan was the chief. It was an earthly paradise, called “Eden, the garden of God”. Satan was not a serpent then, but “the anointed covering cherub”, clothed with the reflected glories of God (Ezek. 28:14). […]
Solomon’s porch was a porch or colonnade attached to the Temple. It was originally constructed by King Solomon (1 Kings 6:2–3), and later rebuilt after a fashion by Herod. Solomon’s porch comes up three times in the scripture, and each time it is connected with a notable rejection of God by Israel. The first mention […]
Atonement’s Two Aspects. The atoning work of Christ on the cross is one work, but it has two aspects. The word ‘atonement’ does not occur in the New Testament, but its two aspects – propitiation and substitution – occur many times. The word “atonement” simply means “covered up”, and doesn’t give the thought of a full and final […]
Related: Sign of the Prophet Jonah Controversy over the three days and three nights in the “Sign of Jonas”. In recent years, there has been an increase in confusion about our Lord’s resurrection following the three days and three nights buried in the earth. For almost two-thousand years the greatest chronologists of the bible […]
Related: Divine Life; Eternal Life New Birth. New birth or quickening refers to the sovereign action of God to impart spiritual life to a person where there was none before. The expression “born anew” does not merely mean “a fresh start”. Nicodemus contemplated entering into his mother’s womb to be born a second time […]
The Ten Similitudes of the Kingdom of Heaven. There are ten parables given in Matthew’s gospel where it is stated; “the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto” or some equivalent expression. These similes, or “similitudes” as they are often called, give us a comprehensive understanding of the “mystery” phase of the Kingdom of Heaven, through which we […]
Main article: Key Players and Terms in Prophecy Related: The Prophetic Earth; The Land; The Third Part; The Fourth Part The World. In prophecy, “the world” refers to the entire planet earth. This is no surprise, but it is important to distinguish it from “the earth” which in prophecy refers to a restricted area. “Day unto day uttereth […]
Main article: Millennium and Eternal State Related: Harvest Judgment; Judgment of the Quick and the Dead Sessional Judgment for the Gentiles. During the 7-year tribulation, the gospel of the Kingdom will be carried to “all the nations” (Matt. 24:14; Isa. 66:19). Some will accept this gospel, others will reject it. Those who reject it will […]
The Feast of the Dedication. The “Feast of the Dedication” also called the “Feast of Lights” occurred in the winter (John 10:22). It was not one of the feasts of Jehovah, but it began in the times of the Maccabees. After Antiochus Epiphanies desecrated the temple, it remained in a defiled condition for 2300 days […]
Related: The Millennium Melchisedec. It is amazing that with only a brief historical reference to Melchisedec in Genesis 14 and a brief prophetic reference in Psalm 110, there could be such a rich unfolding of doctrine concerning Melchisedec in Hebrews 5 – 7. In Genesis 14 we find that Melchisedec was the king of […]
Main article: The Ordinance of Baptism Related: John’s Baptism Baptism (baptisma) simply means “to dip, or submerge.” The word is used many times in scripture, in several different contexts. The Baptism of the Spirit is a reference to the formation of the Church on the Day of Pentecost (1 Cor. 12:13). Water baptism is a […]
Main article: Battles of the Indignation Related: Vintage Judgment; Judgment of the Quick and the Dead The Harvest Judgment (Rev. 14:14-16; Isaiah 21 – 24). At the time of the appearing, the angels will go forth over the Beast’s empire and “reap” those who have refused the gospel of the kingdom. This is called the […]
Related: The Sabbath; Old Man and New Man; The Jordan The Old Creation. Before we talk about New Creation, we need to be reminded of the Old Creation. The Old Creation is described in Genesis 1; God formed the world as we know it in six days including Adam and Eve. God rested on the […]
Three Worlds. Peter speaks about three “worlds” in ch.3 of his second epistle. It is important to understand that each of these worlds is vastly different from the others. Dispensations have to do only with “the heavens and earth that are now”. There were no dispensations before the flood, and there will be none in […]
Main article: Key Players and Terms in Prophecy Related: The Prophetic World; The Land; The Third Part; The Fourth Part The Earth. “The earth” refers to the region of the planet that falls within the scope of Old Testament prophecy; Europe, the Middle East, and Israel. We call this the “prophetic earth” to keep the terms clear in […]