Throughout The Bible, passages describe the character of The Antichrist using both direct prophetic allusions and types (typology). Within all these passages, certain themes are discovered again and again. The composite picture paints a fairly simple-minded yet predetermined individual, driven by an insatiable desire for self-elevation and praise. Like Lucifer before him, this obsession will cause The Antichrist to proclaim himself as God’s co-equal, if not higher. Lucifer’s proclamation is…
In a study of the eschatology of the Kingdom of God, the Bible is very clear on when and how His kingdom is to be. In Matthew 12:28, in the New American Standard Bible it says, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you”, here Jesus is explaining how through Him, the Kingdom of God is coming and through His assentation into Heaven, He brings the kingdom into the spiritual realm of this world. In Mark 1:15, it says, “the time has is fulfilled, the…
The Antichrist will persecute the saints. Disagreement exists whether these saints include believers in Christ that enter the tribulation period, or whether these saints are “new” believers that come to faith during the tribulation. It all depends on one’s interpretation on the timing of the rapture — God’s removal of believers from the earth by a super-natural snatching away. Various theological interpretations regarding the rapture’s particular timing in regards to The Tribulation is beyond…
The Thin-skinned Tyrant Hits Back—Really Hard The Antichrist is obsessed with persecuting the saints. There is some disagreement over whether or not these saints include believers in Christ that enter into the tribulation period or whether these saints are “new” believers in Christ that come to faith during the tribulation. It all depends on one’s interpretation on the timing of what’s called the rapture; an event where God removes believers from the earth by a super-natural snatching away of…
For as long as there has even been a theological understanding of the existence of God, heaven and the story of humankind’s beginnings, there has been a conversation about hell. The presence of hell hearkens back to the Old Testament and the concept grows throughout the Bible until the great unveiling of its physical manifestation in the book of Revelation. It is this final understanding of what hell will be that sticks in the minds of many Christians and theologians. In fact, what has been…
Found in many early medieval Irish manuscripts, an Immram is the traditional Old Irish tale of a sea voyage in which a saint travels across various islands in search of the Otherworld of eternal bliss. One of the most well known depictions of the sea voyage is The Voyage of Saint Brendan, which follows Saint Brendan and his brothers as they embark on their journey in search of the Promised Land of the Saints. Throughout their legendary seven-year journey, Brendan and his followers encounter an…
My wife and I, like most other people living in America, received a knock on our door by some Jehovah’s Witnesses. They had their material at “the ready” and started, as they often do, asking us about “paradise earth”. I invited them into our home. At the end of the discussion, we arranged a time for a follow-up visit. On their second visit, my wife and I were prepared with coffee (yes, they do drink coffee) and snacks. I also had some time to brush up on Jehovah’s Witnesses’ beliefs. The…
According to Webster’s Dictionary, reveal is defined as “to make known through divine inspiration”(“reveal”). As ever human develop aging we tend to face difficulties and good times in life as, we learn to see what is good and bad. Throughout events that occur in life or even in society we are revealed to all things that we learn from. As we grow we reveal many life lessons that we live through and can affect anyone in several ways. In the novel, “Spill Simmer Falter Wither” by Sara Baume we…
John writes the book of Revelation to testify “to everything he saw” of the testimony given to him by Jesus Christ. He recorded his vision from Christ “for the benefit of…Christians throughout history”. He wrote to the seven churches in the provinces of Asia to urge his readers to “be ready at all times for the Last Judgment and the establishment of God’s kingdom.” While Revelation is not, as some assume, a secret code to unlock the future, it is a great resource to Christians so that they…
In that view, the church replaces — or as they would say — “fulfills” — Israel. There is no further national program for Israel nor is there a future earthly kingdom lasting for 1000 years with Christ ruling from Jerusalem. This millennial (which means 1000 years) view is called Amillennialism (meaning: no literal millennium). I reject that view in favor of what’s called Premillennialism which basically says that Christ will return before the millennium to set up His 1000-year kingdom on earth.…