
THE COMING KINGDOM
-
Animal Sacrifices in the Coming Messianic Kingdom—Really? (Part 1)
One of the more confusing issues in biblical studies is the matter of animal sacrifices in the coming messianic (millennial) kingdom. In light of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, why would animal sacrifices be needed? The fact is that five different prophets (Ezekiel has 50 verses on it) tell us that such……
-
Animal Sacrifices in the Coming Messianic Kingdom—Really? (Part 2)
It is no secret that animal sacrifice in the future messianic (millennial) kingdom has been a thorny problem for many interpreters. In this second article, we will attempt to answer the main questions about the purposes for such sacrifices. In the first article we dealt with several important matters which, hopefully, shed some light on…
-
Being Faithful — Looking Beyond Present Difficulties to Life in the Kingdom of Jesus Messiah
It does seem that our American culture is in a moral free fall, and that those who follow Jesus Christ are increasingly falling out of favor with that culture. We will not take time here to give examples of this moral and spiritual decline because each reader could probably quickly construct a long list illustrating…
-
Daniel was a Premillennialist
A close look at Daniel 2 makes it quite clear that Daniel’s “stone kingdom” (the kingdom of the Messiah) only comes into existence after the complete destruction and removal of all the kingdoms of man. There is simply no co-existence with man’s kingdoms. This is, of course, the view of “premillennialism.” Nebuchadnezzar’s statue vision provides a…
-
Just What is “Covenant (Historic) Premillennialism”?
As Chuck sat in church listening to the visiting speaker’s talk on the millennium, he couldn’t help thinking that something just did not sound right to him. The speaker apparently thought that the millennial kingdom was set up after Jesus returned, but other points seemed “off”. So after the sermon, Chuck approached the speaker and…
-
Life in Eternity – The Best is Yet to Come
One reasons why believers don’t eagerly look forward to eternity is because they see it as one eternal church service. And while there will be, without question, the greatest of worship experiences, eternity contains so much more as we return to paradise. “Won’t it be great to live forever in heaven with Jesus?” This question…
-
The Kingdom of God
The phrase “kingdom of God” is used some 200 times in the Bible but much more than that in today’s preaching. Yet, in spite of its great use, rarely does a preacher/teacher define what he means by it. The phrase sounds good in preaching but it is a complex idea with many parts to it…one…
-
The Pre-Tribulational Rapture is Not Wishful Thinking (Part 1)
This article focuses on the Church of Jesus Christ being distinct from the nation of Israel. This is, in fact, the cornerstone theological truth for a pre-trib rapture. The rapture event is personally important to every believer because every believer will be personally involved in this grand event. All believers who have some knowledge of…
-
The Pre-Tribulational Rapture is Not Wishful Thinking (Part 2)
Two points are emphasized in this second part of the discussion: (1) the stated purposes of the tribulation period do not include the Church, and (2) the lack of clear evidence for the Church’s presence in tribulation passages. When I speak in churches, I am often surprised by believers who hold to the Pre-tribulational rapture…
-
The Pre-Tribulational Rapture is Not Wishful Thinking (Part 3)
The Church is exempt from the wrath of God and this key point is the subject of this article. When the writers of the New Testament discussed the Rapture event, it was in the context of godly living. The truth of the Rapture was to bring about changes in the way believers thought and lived.…
-
The Pre-Tribulational Rapture is Not Wishful Thinking (Part 4)
Three theological subject are the emphasis of this part of the discussion: (1) The concept of the rapture being imminent; (2) the distinctions between the rapture and the second coming; and (3) the needed interval between the rapture and the second coming. In one of the very last paragraphs penned by the Apostle Paul, he…