Are We Living In The End Times?
Yes, ever since Jesus’ resurrection with 500 witnesses, 1 Corthinians 15:6-8, and then His ascension to heaven. But, now we are at the end of the End of The Age.
If we are living at the end of the End Times, then we need to understand the Bible and trust what it says is true in order to be prepared, Mark 13:33-37. In these pages we will see, accurate, true events and prophecies which prove we can trust the Bible and everything it contains historically, scientifically and prophetically, completely and absolutely.
I believe that we are living in the Last Days as described in the scriptures in Matthew 24:37 and Luke 17:26, and as 1 Peter 3:20 says, “to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ark was being built, in which a few, eight in all, were brought safely through water.” Matthew 24:38 also talks about the End Times referring back to the days of Noah.
Today we are living as in the days of Noah, Matthew 17:17, Philippians 2:15. We are living in a wicked and perverse generation where evil is prevalent everywhere you look, in every part of society, in every place in the world. Remember, God saved only 8 souls out of millions of people that lived in the days of Noah. The wrath of God has been poured out in judgement on people, tribes and nations, countless times since creation and judgement will be poured out on the World once again as this age descends to the depths of its depravity and its imminent destruction.
What Are Some Of The Signs
Global Unrest:
Heightened conflicts, terrorism, and geopolitical tensions mirror scriptures predicting a time of “wars and rumors of wars,” suggesting the imminence of Christ’s return.
Natural disasters:
Increased frequency and severity of earthquakes, storms, and environmental disruptions align with passages describing “birth pains” preceding the End Times.
Technological Advancements:
Rapid progress in AI, surveillance, and communication echo prophecies about a global system enabling control and surveillance, fostering concerns about the End Times’ approach.
One-World Government:
Globalism’s ascent and pursuit of a unified world government aligns with prophetic warnings in Revelation 13:7 and Daniel 7:23, pointing to a push for a one-world government
Political and Business Corruption:
Biblical last days anticipate rampant political and business corruption, resembling 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Ethical decline underscores societal challenges, emphasizing the need for righteousness amidst prevailing deception. Micah 7:3 Isaiah 59:14
Deception of Mass Media:
The 2 Timothy 3:13 and Ephesians 4:14 fortell deceptive tactics via mass and social media. Manipulation distorts truth, fostering spiritural discernment’s vital role in an era of pervasive misinformation and influence.
Biblical Prophecies:
Passages like Matthew 24:5-14 and Revelation indicate the recognition of contemporary occurrences paralleling biblical signs, including wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes, false prophets, and worldwide turmoil.
Moral Decay:
Observing widespread societal shifts away from traditional values fuels the belief that increasing immorality and godlessness are indicative of the End Times. Romans 1:22-27
Exodus 20:13-17 Isaiah 5:20-23
Israel's Rebirth:
The reestablishment of Israel in 1948 is seen as a significant fulfillment of biblical prophecy, signifying the approaching return of Jesus Christ and the culmination of history. Ezekiel 37:21-22 Zechariah 12:2-3
In The Last Days:
II Timothy 3:1-5 13, NIV. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. …But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived”
Can We Trust The Bible?
Fulfilled Prophecies:
Accurate foretelling of historical events, like the life of Jesus and Israel’s fate, demonstrates divine insight beyond human comprehension.
Internal Consistency:
Despite diverse authors, genres, and time periods, the Bible’s message harmonizes seamlessly, suggesting divine inspiration.
Historical Corroboration:
Archaeological Discoveries: Archaeological findings confirming historical details mentioned in the Bible, like the discovery of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem (John 9:7), provide tangible evidence of the Bible’s reliability.
Christ's Resurrection:
The historical evidence and enduring belief in Jesus’ resurrection affirm the Bible’s reliability and God’s redemptive plan for humanity.
Martyrdom of Disciples:
Martyrdom of Disciples: The willingness of early disciples to die for their beliefs, indicating their conviction in the truth of the message (Acts 7:59-60), highlights their faith’s sincerity.
Archaeological Confirmations:
Discoveries like Dead Sea Scrolls validate biblical accounts and archaeology supports narratives of cities, customs, people. Physical evidence confirms historical accuracy.
Science and the Bible:
Scientific Insights: The Bible’s compatibility with scientific principles, such as the description of the water cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7), reflects advanced insights for its time.
Enduring Influence:
The Bible’s profound impact on cultures, ethics, literature, and law underscores its lasting significance and divine origin.
Eyewitness Accounts:
The firsthand testimonies of those who walked with Jesus and witnessed His teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection provided evidence of the Bible’s authenticity and divine inspiration.
Is Jesus Who He Said?
Liar:
If Jesus knowingly fabricated His claims, He deceived multitudes by asserting divinity, which contradicts His moral teachings of truthfulness and love for neighbor.
Lunatic:
If Jesus were deluded about His identity, His claims of being God’s Son and Savior would be the product of mental instability, inconsistent with His profound wisdom and rationality.
Lord:
Accepting Jesus as Lord acknowledges His self-proclaimed deity, consistent teachings, transformative impact on lives, historical resurrection, and fulfillment of prophecies, substantiating His unique and divine nature.
Fulfillment of Prophecy:
Jesus fulfilled numerous, well over 300, Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, such as His birthplace, lineage, and the events of His life.
Miracles and Teachings:
Jesus’ extraordinary miracles, authoritative teachings, and moral purity exemplified His divine nature and unique identity as the Son of God.
Resurrection:
The resurrection from the dead after crucifixion is a central tenet of Christianity. Believers see it as confirmation of Jesus’ claims and a validation of His deity.
Jesus Christ: The Fulfillment of Divine Identity and Mission
Jesus’ life, teachings, and the profound impact He left on the world validate His claim to be the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the Savior of humanity. His words and deeds resonate through history, affirming His unique identity and the truth of His claims.
Divine Fulfillment of Prophecy: Jesus’ birth, life, and ministry fulfilled numerous prophecies recorded centuries before His arrival. From being born in Bethlehem as prophesied in Micah 5:2, to being a descendant of Abraham and David, Jesus’ life aligns with the Messianic expectations.
Miraculous Signs and Wonders: The miracles Jesus performed, including healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, raising the dead, and calming storms, bear witness to His divine nature. These miraculous acts, attested by eyewitnesses, demonstrate His authority over the natural world and His mission to bring redemption.
Unparalleled Teachings: Jesus’ teachings transcend mere human wisdom. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and His parables reveal profound spiritual truths and ethical principles that continue to shape moral discourse. His teachings on love, forgiveness, and the Kingdom of God resonate with universal human longing.
Uncompromising Moral Authority: Jesus consistently demonstrated moral integrity, challenging the religious authorities and exposing hypocrisy. His righteous indignation in cleansing the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13) showcased His commitment to authentic worship.
Sacrificial Love and Atonement: The pinnacle of Jesus’ identity is revealed in His sacrificial death on the cross. His willingness to die for humanity’s sins, as foretold in Isaiah 53, attests to His divine love and His role in reconciling humanity to God.
Triumph over Death: The resurrection, witnessed by hundreds and affirmed by transformed disciples, stands as the ultimate validation of Jesus’ claims. His victory over death signifies His divine power, authority, and mission to offer eternal life to all who believe in Him.
Global Influence and Transformation: The enduring impact of Jesus’ life and teachings spans cultures, centuries, and continents. The Christian faith’s growth from a small band of followers to a global movement attests to the life-changing power of encountering Jesus.
Personal Encounter and Transformation: Throughout history, countless individuals have experienced a profound transformation through a personal encounter with Jesus. Lives changed, addictions overcome, and purpose found testify to His ongoing presence and power.
Unveiling the Godhead: Jesus claimed oneness with the Father, revealing the Triune nature of God. His words in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me,” affirm His divine role as the bridge between humanity and God.
In conclusion, Jesus’ life, teachings, miracles, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection combine to solidify His identity as the Son of God and Savior of the world. The profound impact He has left on individuals and societies is a testament to His authenticity and the transformational truth of His claims.
Jesus Feeds 5000
Jesus miraculously multiplied a few loaves and fishes to feed 5000 men, illustrating His divine power, compassion, and ability to provide abundantly from scarcity (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15).
Jesus Walks On Water
Jesus defied nature by walking on water during a storm, revealing His divine mastery over creation and His disciples’ faith, teaching trust in His power (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21).
Jesus Raises The Dead
Jesus raised Lazarus from death, showcasing His authority over life and death, His compassion, and foreshadowing His own resurrection, affirming His divinity and power
John 11:1-44
Jesus Healed a Centurion's servant
In a display of compassion and faith, Jesus healed a centurion’s servant from a distance, highlighting His power to heal and His recognition of genuine faith. (Matthew 8:5, Luke 7:1)
Jesus Healing Power
Jesus Cleanses a leper, heals a paralytic, heals 2 blind men, heals a deaf-mute, heals a blind man in Bethsaida, heals a man with Dropsy, and cleanses 10 lepers
Jesus Power Over Demons
Jesus demonstrated unparalleled authority over demons, casting them out with a word. His encounters showcased divine power, revealing his ability to liberate minds and hearts from darkness.
Heals a Canaanite Women's Daughter
With unwavering persistence and remarkable faith, a Canaanite woman’s daughter was healed by Jesus. This encounter reveals his compassion transcends cultural boundaries. (Matthew 15:21, Mark 7:24)
Jesus Is The Messiah
There are over 300 prophecies that point directly to the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus fulfilled all of them.
In Peter W. Stoner’s book they calculated the odds. The Odds of One Man Fulfilling Just 8 Prophecies is
1 in 10 to the 17th Power. Which is 10 followed by 17 zeros, or
1 person in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
The End Of The Age
Having explored the signs of the End Times, the trustworthiness of the Bible, and the profound reality of Jesus Christ, we now embark on a scriptural journey into the prophetic Tribulation as foretold in the Book of Revelation and the prophetic visions of the prophet Daniel. This transition is grounded in the enduring relevance of biblical prophecy.
End Times Prophecies Fulfilled
Throughout our exploration, we’ve encountered the striking fulfillment of End Times prophecies, aligning with biblical references such as Matthew 24:5-14, which detail events signaling the culmination of human history. As we transition to the Tribulation, we acknowledge that biblical prophecy is not merely a relic of the past but an ongoing revelation of God’s divine plan.
The Unveiling of the Book of Revelation
Revelation, the final book of the Bible, unveils a series of prophetic visions granted to the apostle John. It offers a vivid account of the Tribulation, a period of unprecedented turmoil, marked by cosmic disturbances, supernatural judgments, and the unveiling of God’s righteous plan. Revelation 1:1 emphasizes the book’s revelatory nature, inviting readers to contemplate its significance.
Daniel’s Prophetic Insights
The book of Daniel, with its prophetic visions and interpretations, provides invaluable context for understanding the Tribulation. Daniel 7:25 speaks of a time when the saints will be oppressed, mirroring the tribulation period’s challenges for believers. Daniel’s prophecies, spanning from the Babylonian era to the End Times, offer a comprehensive perspective on God’s sovereign control over human history.
Transitioning with Faith and Vigilance
As we transition to the prophetic Tribulation, we do so with faith in the unwavering promises of God. Jesus assured believers in John 16:33 that despite tribulations, they can take heart because He has overcome the world. Similarly, Revelation 1:3 promises a blessing to those who read, hear, and keep the words of the prophecy.
Next, we will delve into the depths of the Bible, Revelation and Daniel, seeking to unravel the divine mysteries and discern the profound significance of these prophetic texts in our lives today. It is a journey that calls for spiritual vigilance, unwavering faith, and a heart attuned to the timeless truths of the Scriptures.
May our exploration of the Tribulation be guided by the Holy Spirit, illuminating the path ahead and deepening our understanding of God’s redemptive plan in these pivotal times.
Daniel and The End Times
Daniel chapters 2, 7, and 8 foretell empires’ rise and fall, symbolized by metals and beasts, culminating in a future end-time event, emphasizing God’s sovereignty in human history.
Antichrist and the Mark of The Beast
2 Thessalonians and other verse warning of aligning with the beast
Thessalonians and The Antichrist
In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, the focus is on the concept of Antichrist, a malevolent figure foretold in biblical prophecy. This chapter describes Antichrist as the ultimate embodiment of those who oppose God and Jesus Christ.
Daniel 10, 11, 12
Daniel provides a detailed prophetic history of events, focusing on the conflicts between empires and prophecies of the end times, including the resurrection and final judgment.
Revelation and Judgement
It is a revelation of the divine plan of judgement and redemption, the triumph of good over evil, and the return of Jesus Christ..
7 Seal Judgements
The unveiling of God’s divine plan for the world, a series of judgments known as the “Seal Judgments.” Who is worthy to open the scroll? Only the Lamb of God, Jesus opens seven seals on the scroll.
Trumpet Judgements
Each trumpet blown by angels initiates a specific judgment upon the world, revealing God’s sovereignty, justice, and His unfolding judgement for humanity.
Bowl Judgements
John sees a vision of seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last and most severe judgments of God’s wrath. These judgments are poured out from seven bowls.
“Of the 46 Old Testament prophets, less than 10 of them speak of His first coming; 36 of them speak of His second coming. There are over 1,500 Old Testament passages that refer in some way to the second coming of Jesus Christ. One out of every 25 New Testament verses directly refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. For every time the Bible mentions the first coming of Christ, it mentions the second coming 8 times. For each time the atonement is mentioned once, the second coming is mentioned twice. Jesus refers to His second coming 21 times, and over 50 times we are told to be ready for His return” Pastor John MacArthur.
EIGHT PROPHOCIES
1. THE TIME OF JESUS BIRTH. Micah 5:2 Hosea 11:1 Genesis 3:15
2. HE WOULD BE BORN IN BETHLEHEM. Micah 5:2
3. HE WOULD BE BORN OF A VIRGIN. Isaiah 7:14
4. HE WOULD BE BETRAYED FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER. Zechariah 11:12
5. HE WOULD BE MOCKED. Psalm 22:7 -8
6. HE WOULD BE CRUCIFIED. Isaiah 53:5 John 3:14
7. HE WOULD BE PIERCED. Psalm 22:16
8. HE WOULD DIE WITH THE WICKED, BUT HE WOULD BE BURIED WITH THE RICH. Isaiah 53:9
This is the answer to the question: One man in how many men has fulfilled
these eight prophecies? But we are really concerned with the answer to the
question: What is the chance that any man might have lived from the day of these
prophecies down to the present time and have fulfilled all of the eight prophecies?
We can answer this question by dividing our 1028 who have lived since the time of these prophecies. The best information available indicates the number to be about 88 billion or 8.8 x 1010. To simplify the computation let us call the number 10^11. By dividing these two numbers we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017.
Editor’s note: It is probable that 88 billion or 8.8 x 1010 assumes a growth rate for
the earth’s population which is much too small – that most of the people who have
ever lived are still alive today – suggesting that this number may be too large by a
factor of ten. If so, this will affect the final result by the same factor of ten; ten
times fewer total people who might have fulfilled these prophecies means only one
tenth the chance that one of them might have done it by accident. Our number
would become 10 instead of 1017. The number used in this book is very
conservative.
Let us try to visualize this chance. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all of the
tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far she wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance
would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would
have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one
man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom.
Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just
wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one
chance in 1017of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.
This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God
inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 1017of being absolute. Sometimes we weigh our chances in the business world, and say if an investment has nine chances in ten of being profitable, and only one chance in ten of being a failure, it is safe enough for us to make the investment. Whoever heard of an investment that had only one chance in 1017 of failure? The business world has no conception of such an investment. Yet we are offered this investment by God. By the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior we know, from only these eight prophecies which lack only 1 chance in 1017 of being an absolute proof, that that investment will yield the wonderful dividend of eternal life with Christ. Can anyone be so unreasonable as to reject Jesus Christ and pin his hope of eternal life on such a slim chance as finding the right silver dollar among this great mass, covering the whole state of Texas two feet deep? It does not seem possible, yet every man who rejects Christ is doing just that.
More than three hundred prophecies from the Old Testament which deal with the
first advent of Christ have been listed. Every one of them was completely fulfilled
by Jesus Christ. Let us see what happens when we take more than eight prophecies.
Suppose we add eight more prophecies to our list, and assume that their chance of
fulfillment is the same as the eight just considered. The chance that one man would
fulfill all sixteen is 1 x 1028x 1017 or 1 in 1045.
Let us try to visualize this as we did before. Take this number of silver dollars. If
you make these into a solid ball, you will have a great sphere with a center at the
earth, and extending in all directions more than 30 times as far as from the earth to
the sun. (If a train had started from the earth at the time the Declaration of
Independence was signed, and had traveled steadily toward the sun at the rate of
sixty miles per hour, day and night, it would be about reaching its destination today.
But remember that our ball of silver dollars extends thirty times that far in all
directions.) If you can imagine the marking of one silver dollar, and then thoroughly
stirring it into this great ball, and blindfolding a man and telling him to pick out one
dollar, and expect it to be the marked one, you have somewhat of a picture of how
absolutely the fulfillment of sixteen prophecies referring to Jesus Christ proves both
that He is the Son of God and that our Bible is inspired. Certainly God directed the
writing of His Word.
Odds Of Forty Eight
In order to extend this consideration beyond all bounds of human comprehension,
let us consider forty-eight prophecies, similar in their human chance of fulfillment
to the eight which we originally considered, using a much more conservative
number, 1 in 1021. Applying the same principle of probability used so far, we find
the chance that any one man fulfilled all forty-eight prophecies to be 1 in 10157.
This is really a large number and it represents an extremely small chance. Let us try
to visualize it. The silver dollar, which we have been using, is entirely too large. We
must select a smaller object. The electron is about as small an object as we know of.
It is so small that it will take 2.5 x 1015of them laid side by side to make a line,
single file, one inch long. If we were going to count the electrons in this line one
inch long, and counted 250 each minute, and if we counted day and night, it would
take us 19,000,000 years to count just the one-inch line of electrons. If we had a
cubic inch of these electrons and we tried to count them, it would take us 1.2 x 1038
years (2 x 1028 times the 6 billion years back to the creation of the solar system).
With this introduction, let us go back to our chance of 1 in 10157. Let us suppose that
we are taking this number of electrons, marking one, and thoroughly stirring it into
the whole mass, then blindfolding a man and letting him try to find the right one.
What chance has he of finding the right one? What kind of a pile will this number of
electrons make? They make an inconceivably large volume.
The distance from our system of stars, or galaxy, to the next nearest one is nearly
1,500,000 light-years; that is the distance that light will travel in 1,500,000 years
going 186,000 miles each and every second. This distance is so great that if every
man, woman and child in the United States, 200,000,000 of them, had a library of
65,000 volumes, and you collected every book in all of these libraries and them
started on this journey of 1,500,000 light-years, and decided to place one letter from
one of the books on each mile (e.g., if “the” was the first word in the first book you
would put “t” on the first mile, “h” on the second mile, and “e” on the third mile; then
leave a mile blank without a letter and start the next word in the same manner, etc.),
before you complete your journey you will use up every letter in every book of every
one of the libraries and have to call for more.
Space, by some authorities, is supposed to extend in all directions to the distance, not
of 1,500,000 light-years. but more than 4,000 times that far or 6,000,000,000 lightyears. Let us make a solid ball of electrons, extending in all directions from the earth to the distance of six billion light-years. Have we used up our 10157 electrons? No, we have made such a small hole in the mass that we cannot see it. We can make this solid ball of electrons, extending in all directions to the distance of six billion lightyears 6 x 1028 times. Suppose again that we had this great amount of electrons, 10157 of them, and we were able to make 500 of these tremendous balls, six billion light-years in radius, each minute. If we worked day and night it would take us 1010times the 6 billion years back to creation to use up our supply of electrons. Now, one of these electrons was marked and thoroughly stirred into the whole mass; blindfold your man and ask him to find the marked electron.
No man could in any way look over this mass of electrons, blindfolded or not
blindfolded, and pick out any one electron, let alone the one that had been marked.
(The electron, in fact, is so small that it cannot be seen with powerful microscope.)
To the extent, then, that we know this blindfolded man cannot pick out the marked
electron, we know that the Bible is inspired. This is not merely evidence. It is proof
of the Bible’s inspiration by God–proof so definite that the universe is not large
enough to hold the evidence. Some will say that our estimates of the probability of
the fulfillment of these prophecies are too large and the numbers should be reduced.
Ask a man to submit his own estimates, and if they are smaller than these we have
used, we shall add a few more prophecies to be evaluated and this same number will
be reestablished or perhaps exceeded.
Our Bible students claim that there are more than three hundred prophecies dealing
with Christ’s first advent. If this number is correct, and it no doubt is, you could set
your estimates ridiculously low on the whole three hundred prophecies and still
obtain tremendous evidence of inspiration.
For example you may place all of your estimates at one in four. You may say that one
man in four has been born in Bethlehem: that one of these children in four was taken
to Egypt, to avoid slaughter; that one in four of these came back and made his home
in Nazareth; that one in four of these was a carpenter; that one in four of these was
betrayed for thirty pieces of silver; that one in four of these has been crucified on a
cross; that one in four was then buried in a rich man’s tomb; yes, even that one in four rose from the dead on the third day; and so on for all of the three hundred prophecies and from them I will build a number much larger than the one we obtained from the forty-eight prophecies.
Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact proved perhaps
more absolutely than any other fact in the world.
Grace to You :: esp Unleashing God’s Truth, One Verse at a Time
A Jet Tour Through Revelation Scripture: Revelation
Code: 1290
Well, tonight we’re in for, I trust, a great time, and in order to make the most of it, open your Bible to the book of Revelation. Tonight we have as our purpose a tour through this marvelous book.
While you’re turning to Revelation 1:1, let me just stay that no book in Scripture reveals the glory of God and Christ in any more splendor than does this book, and yet no book has been more misunderstood and misinterpreted and neglected than this book. In chapter 22 of Revelation, in verse 10, it says, “Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” If there’s one thing God wants in regard to this book, it is that we know what it teaches: seal it not.
The book begins with a blessing, chapter 1 verse 3, “Blessed is he that readeth…” It ends with a blessing, chapter 22 verse 7, “…blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.” It is the only book in the Bible that begins and ends with a promise of blessing to the one who reads. And we are told that we are to understand it because the time is at hand, and what that basically means, in chapter 22 verse 10, is that what is said here is the next event on God’s messianic timetable.
Now, the key to the book is found in chapter 1 verse 1, and we’re going to dive right in at that point and go from there. “The revelation of Jesus Christ,” that’s what the book is about. It is the apocalypse, the apokalupsis, the unveiling, the revealing of Jesus Christ, the uncovering of the truth about Christ heretofore not known. We’re going to learn things about Jesus Christ in this book that we wouldn’t know if it weren’t for this book and, “The revelation, which God gave to Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass,” in other words, this is a glimpse of the future, the near future, “and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John.”
God wanted to reveal Jesus Christ in full glory. That’s a future reality. And so, he sent the message about this with an angel who delivered it to John. Verse 2 says John wrote it down, “He bore witness of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”
So, in verse 1, God sets out to reveal. In verse 2, John takes the responsibility to write down that revelation, and in verse 3 it says, “Blessed is the one who reads – “ you can underline that “ – who hears – “ underline that “ – who keeps the things written in it.” And then this important statement, “for the time is at hand.” And that’s not related, necessarily, to time itself, but more to the sequence of events. This is the next on God’s calendar of messianic events.
It is, then, a revelation of Jesus Christ, and it is Him revealed in full second-coming glory, which was previewed in His first coming on the Mount of Transfiguration, when He showed them a glimpse of His second-coming glory.
Now, that brings us into verse 4, and we get a little more formal introduction. John is writing this book particularly to be sent to the seven churches in Asia Minor. That would be modern Turkey.
There were seven churches; they’re listed for us in chapters 2 and 3. They were actual congregations. They were the initial recipients of this letter, and then it was passed on from them to all the other churches and down to us as well.
These churches were primarily founded as a result of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, Ephesus being the key church, and from there the Word of God spreading out and no doubt being responsible for the founding of these various churches in the area of Asia Minor. Then comes a greeting, “Grace be unto you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come.” Now, that’s God, the Eternal God, who was, who is, and yet who is in the future to come. “And then from the sevenfold Spirit before the throne.” And it says “seven Spirits,” but so that you don’t become confused, that is the sevenfold Holy Spirit. If you were to read Isaiah 11:2, you can write that down in the margin there and make it a cross reference, you would find that there are seven unique ministries of the Holy Spirit listed there, and He is there for the sevenfold Spirit, which speaks of the fullness of His ministry here called the seven Spirits before the throne.
So, the book is sent with greetings from God the Father, greetings from the Holy Spirit, and then verse 5 says, “ – and from Jesus Christ.” So, it is a letter from the Trinity, and that also sets it apart in a very marvelous and unique way: a letter from the Trinity; all being a part.
And then, since it is a revelation of Jesus Christ, it goes on to describe Jesus as the first begotten of the dead. It doesn’t mean that he was the first one that ever rose from the dead; there were others that He Himself raised from the dead. It means that of all those ever to be raised from the dead, including the saints, He is the first and foremost and chief and greatest one of all who will ever rise. And may I add, all men who have ever lived will rise from the dead: some to the resurrection of life, and some to the resurrection of damnation. But of all who have ever risen, He is the chief one. “He is the Prince – “ it says “ – of the kings of the earth.” And it says, “Unto Him – “ now, here’s a dedication; the book is from the Trinity, by an angel, to John, written down, passed on to us to read. And then John reminds us it is first sent to the seven churches. It comes from the Trinity and is dedicated – verse 5 – “Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His blood.” The dedication is to Jesus Christ Himself, the one who has made us priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” So, the book right there is dedicated to the glory of the eternal Christ.
And then it tells us in verse 7, “Behold, He cometh – “ future tense “ -–with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” You know what “amen” means? What does that mean? So let it be. And so we find right there that the book is introduced to us as from the Trinity, dedicated to Jesus Christ, who is coming, and when He comes, every eye will see Him, and so let it be. And that’s a kind of a glimpse of what the whole book is about, the coming of Jesus Christ.
And then it says in verse 8 that He is “ – Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the one who is, who was, who is to come, the Almighty.” That signifies, of course, God in His essence and Christ in His unique relationship to God within the Trinity.
So, we find that in verses 4 to 8 just some introductory information. The book is from the Trinity to the seven churches, to be spread from there by the agency of John. It is dedicated to Jesus Christ, who is coming, who is the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning and the end, the Lord who is and was, who is to come, the Almighty. In other words, this one who comes is none other than Almighty God.
So, the book then is about the second coming of Jesus Christ. It’s about His return, and about the facts that are going to occur around that return.
Now, we’ve established then that the theme, in the first eight verses of chapter 1, is Jesus Christ in His second coming. Now, as we look at verse 9, he gets into the first of his visions, and it is a series of visions that God gives to John, “I, John.” And he says that a lot in the book, and it’s almost as if he was in a state of shock. It’s almost as if he’s saying, “Can you believe this? I, John, saw this.
Me.” You almost get the idea that there’s a certain amount of incredulity in his own mind as to why God would ever allow him such a privilege.
“I, John, who am just your brother and just your companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Me, you know, nothing special, just ordinary me, I was in the isle called Patmos.” He was exiled to Patmos for proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. In order to shut him up and get him out of the mainstream, they put him on the isle of Patmos until he died. “And I was there,” he says, “for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. That’s why I was there. I was put there because I preach Christ, and I preach God’s Word.”
Now he says, “I was in the Sprit – “ that is, he was under the control of the Holy Spirit in a unique way “ – on the Lord’s day…” Now, some people think that means on Sunday; I kind of lean that way myself. Some people think it means, “In a prophetic sense, I was in the Spirit, looking at the day of the Lord in its fullness.” I particularly lean toward the idea that it was on a Sunday, on the Lord’s day, as he was worshiping; he was in the Spirit. “…I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, and the voice said, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and what thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches in Asia.’” So, there’s John’s orders, “Write this stuff down to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.” Actual cities. They actually existed. They had churches, local congregations.
And then as John turns, in the first vision, he has a vision of Jesus Christ, and I’m not going to go through it in detail, but he sees Jesus Christ moving among seven golden lampstands – seven churches, seven lampstands. Each lampstand represents a church. Seven is the number of fullness. So, what you have here is a representation of all the churches, and Christ is moving among the churches, ministering to the churches.
“He holds – “ verse 16 says “ – in His right hand seven stars…” Now, it tells us, down in verse 20, that the seven stars are the ministers of the seven churches, but it is the Lord then moving through His church, ministering, trimming the lamps, doing His work of purification and judgment, applying wisdom and so forth. And he sees Christ in His glory, ministering to the church.
And that introduces us really to the outline of the book, which comes in verse 19, “Write the things which you have seen…” And what had he seen? Just that first vision. “…the things which are…” And what are the things which are? The things which speak to the time in which John lives, the present tense kind of time, and that comes in chapters 2 and 3, “…and then the things which shall be hereafter…” which begin in chapter 4. So, there you have an outline of the book. Chapter 1 is dealt with in the things that you have seen; chapters 2 and 3 in the things which are; and chapters 4 through 22 in the things which shall be hereafter. You’re going to deal with a past vision; you’re going to deal with present issues; you’re going to deal with the future.
Now, it all begins then with Christ being revealed in the Church Age – that this age – moving among the churches, ministering to the Church. And in that ministry comes seven letters written to these individual churches. Then we begin in chapter 2 to see the letters written to the seven churches.
Now, listen very carefully to what I say. These are seven real churches; they really existed; they existed in those cities that they’re stated to exist in. And if you study the letters in detail, you find that each letter fits the historical, cultural, geographical context of the city to which it was written. It’s a literal city.
But they are also representative churches, because each one of them has a unique character all its own. And it represents churches of all times because each of them is a special kind of church. And in all the periods of the history of the Church, there have always been these kinds of churches, and each of them gets a special message from the Lord. So, this is His ministry, as it were, to the Church Age.
The first one is Ephesus. What kind of church is Ephesus? It is the church that is orthodox in doctrine but cold. It’s left its first love. Verse 4, “I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love.” Verse 5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works.” Now, this is the church that’s orthodox. I mean they have the right doctrine. In verse 2 it says they couldn’t bear evil people, they couldn’t bear false apostles and teachers, and they endured, faithful to the sound doctrine, but they lost their love. They were cold and orthodox.
Now, that kind of church has existed in every age and does today: those who have got the right message; they’re just cold and indifferent about it.
The second church we meet is the Smyrna church, verses 8 to 11. This is the church that suffers persecution. And in verse 10 it says, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, you may be tried; you shall have tribulation ten days – “ ten days signifies a brief period of time “ – be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.” Nothing negative is said against this church. Why? Because the church under persecution will always be a pure church; it’s purged by the persecution. People who are just showing up for whatever reason, once persecution starts, get out. Because if they don’t have anything to die for, they’re not going to stay around and get killed in the massacre. So, this is the church under persecution, and in all period of the Church’s history, there have been those churches, and there are such churches today. We’re going to hear about one in the service following tonight, when we hear Georgi Vins tell us about the Church in the Soviet Union.
The third letter is written to the church in the town of Pergamum or Pergamos, and this is in chapter 2 verse 12 through 17. And this is the church married to the world. This is the worldly church, and he describes their worldliness down through verse 15. And then in verse 16 he says, “Repent; or else I’ll come unto thee quickly, and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” This is the church Christ fights against, the church that is married to the world. And in all periods of the Church’s history, there are worldly churches, where the people don’t come out from the world, where they cater to the world, where they accommodate the world, where they go along with everything that’s happening in society.
Then the Lord has a message to a fourth kind of church, represented by the Thyatira assembly in chapter 2 verse 18 to 29. Thyatira is the church that tolerates sin. In this particular church, they tolerated a Jezebel-like woman, who was seducing servants to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols. And so, they’re warned because they are a church that tolerates sin, a church that wouldn’t discipline sin, a church that wouldn’t purify its ranks. And there are always churches like that.
And then in chapter 3, we are introduced to the fifth church Sardis. Easy to see what was wrong in this church. Verse 1 says, “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” This is the dead church. Just dead. And it had a few things that were living, verse 2 says, but they were also ready to die. A dead church. And you’ve seen such. Maybe you came from one. Nothing happening, no life, no growth, no productivity, no fruit, no joy.
And then number six, chapter 3, 7 to 13, the church at Philadelphia. This is the faithful church. It says in verse 8, at the end, “…you have kept My word, have not denied My name.” This is the church that had an open door and went through it. You might even see it as a missionary church. And so, it is a faithful church, and there are always those kind.
And then the final of the seven comes in chapter 3 verse 14 to the end of the chapter. That whole section deals with Laodicea, the apostate church, the unsaved church, the church of liberalism today. So you see, each of these has a message. By the way, that church is characterized in verse 15, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.” “I wish you were either against me or for me,” he says, “but because you’re neutral in the middle, I’ll spew you out of my mouth.” Rejected false church.
Now, let me summarize. First of all, in chapter 2, we have the cold orthodox church. Then we have the church suffering persecution, then the church married to the world, the church tolerating sin, the dead church, the faithful church, and the apostate church. Now, each of these, as I said, was a real church, and each represents churches in all the periods of history. And so, the message to these churches is to all churches, throughout all of this period of time in which the Church exists on the earth, and in which Christ moves among the seven lampstands, ministering to His Church.
And listen, beloved, I believe these seven letters are to be applied to the Church today. Whatever kind of church, there is a message for that church, isn’t there? You say, “Well, how do we know what kind of church a church is?” I’ll tell you how. A church will fall into these particular kinds of churches, or these categories, when the dominant influence in the church is in regard to one of these areas.
Like if the dominant influence in the church is cold, though orthodox, the church will reflect a cold, orthodox viewpoint, even though there might be some on-fire members. If the dominant influence in the church is in difference totally to God, no production, no life, it’s a dead church, though there may be a few people who haven’t quite died. Whatever the dominant influence, it gives character to the church. If the church is marked by a dominant number of faithful people going through the open door and taking the Word of God, it’ll be marked as a faithful, Philadelphia-type church.
And so, at the end of chapter 3, you have the end of the message to the churches. It began in chapter 1, as Christ was moving among the churches; articulated in 2 and 3; and we come to the end of chapter 3, and we do not hear the word “church” again in the book of Revelation until the very end of chapter 22, when the writer simply says, “Go back and remember what I said to the church.” The Church does not appear again until the end of chapter 22. The Church is not particularly in view
from here on until the Church, of course, is called by another name in the millennial kingdom, and that is the “Bride.” But the Church ceases to be the issue at the end of chapter 3, and the last word in chapter 3 is “churches,” and that is the message. And every one of the messages ended the same way, “He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” What does that mean? That means that the message to those churches goes beyond them to everybody who’s got spiritual ears. Right? So, they’re for all time.
Now we come to chapter 4, and we leave the Church Age. People always say, “Where, where does the rapture come in?” it’s in the white spaces between chapter 3 and 4. Yeah, the church on earth in chapter 2 and 3, and all of a sudden, we appear in heaven, and I want you to see what happens. The theme of Heaven is worship. We go from earth to heaven.
“And after this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice I heard as it were a trumpet talking with me; which said, ‘Come up here, and I will show thee the things which must be hereafter.’” Now we move into phase 3. We’ve seen the things which thou hast seen.
We’ve seen the things which are – chapters 2 and 3. Now the things which shall be hereafter. You see, the flow and the chronology and the outline is very, very carefully laid out.
And so immediately, again, he was in the spirit, which means that he was led by the Spirit to this vision. And as he was led to this vision, he saw a throne set. And the word “set” has the idea of permanence. It is not a passing thrown; it is a forever thrown. It is a permanent throne; it is the throne of God. We know that because the one who sat on the throne had a look like “jasper,” that’s another word for diamond; “sardius,” that’s another word for ruby. And there was a rainbow around the throne, in sight like an emerald. And emerald rainbow, probably reflecting His faithfulness. And so, there is God and His throne I heaven. John’s up there, and now he’s going to find out what’s going to happen. Now we’re in heaven, and heaven’s going to begin to act on the earth. What’s going to happen?
Well, first of all, let’s find out who’s up there. “And round about the throne were twenty-four thrones: and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” Now, who is this? Very important. Let me just tell you that I believe this is the Church. I believe it represents the Church of Jesus Christ. I’ll tell you why: the scene here is rewards. It is a time of rewards. They bear crowns. Crowns of gold. And I see this as the raptured Church, now complete, reigning with God, around His throne in glory, having been rewarded. And I believe that when Jesus comes to take the Church in the rapture, he says, “Behold, I come, and my reward is with me.” And I think the first thing that happens when we’re raptured is we go up there, and we receive our rewards, and I believe there they are, with their crowns. It says they’re on thrones. They have white robes and crowns, and all three of those are promised to the Church.
And I don’t believe it can be Israel, based on chapter 5 verse 9, “They sang a new song, said, ‘Thou art worthy to take the scroll and open its seals: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God a kingdom of priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” And I think that’s the redeemed people singing that song. And so, I think it refers to redeemed people: those who are saved, redeemed out of every kindred tongue, people, and nation. Like – it cannot refer to angels, as I see it. It cannot refer to saints of Israel; it must refer to the Church. And then I think – I mean I think that’s the safest place to land on that matter.
“Out of the throne – “ verse 5 “ – the throne proceeds lightnings, thunderings, voices,” and so forth, and then the vision of God, and there’s the sevenfold Spirit again, and this is the divine throne.
Now, before the throne, verse 6, is a sea of glass like crystal. And this is somewhat like Ezekiel chapter 1, the imagery there. The four living creatures, I believe those are angels. It describes them in some detail. And then it says they all worship, verses 9, 10, and 11. All of heaven is worshiping. You’ve got the angels worshiping; you’ve got the saints worshiping, the Church worshiping, all giving praise and glory to God. And as I’ve said to you before, that’s the theme of heaven. Heaven is a place where everybody worships God. And so, when John sees heaven, he sees all these people worshiping God.
And then, all of a sudden, something interesting happens in chapter 5: the worship is broken. “And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a scroll…” You know what it is? It’s a title deed to the earth. It’s the title deed to the earth? How do you know that? It was sealed with seven seals.
Roman law required that a will be sealed seven times, so that it couldn’t be broken open. It had to be sealed. In other words, they would roll it so far, seal it; roll it a little further, seal it; roll it further, seal it; roll it further, seal it. And finally, they would roll it to the tightest part, seal it the seventh time, and you couldn’t break through seven seals without being discovered. So, a will was sealed seven times. I believe this is God’s will and testament, and God’s will and testament was to give the earth to Jesus Christ. Wasn’t that his promise in Psalm 2? “I’ll give You the nations for an inheritance.
You’ll rule with a rod of iron. This is My Son; He’ll break the power of all the nations. He’ll rule in the world.” That was the promise to the Son, and here is the title deed the Father holds in His hand.
“And a strong angle proclaims, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and loose its seals?’” Who can claim to have the will of God? Who can unroll the seven sealed scroll? “No man in heaven or on earth, neither under the earth, no one was able to open the scroll or even look in it.” And John wept because nobody was found worthy to open and read the scroll or even look on it. “And then one of the elders – “ and who would know better than one of the elders, one of the 24 elders, who would know better what it mean to be redeemed “ – said, ‘Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and loose its seven seals.’”
And so, one of those I believe who is representative of the redeemed knows that Jesus Christ is the one who is worthy to open that scroll. And he is, in verse 6, described as the one who steps forward, “ – in the midst of the living creatures – “ the angels “ –and the elders –“ those representing the Church “ – stood a Lamb, as though it had been slain, having seven horns – “ that’s full power, seven being fullness, horn in an animal referring to power “ – having seven eyes – ” which is perfect wisdom, referred and reflected from the Holy Spirit, the sevenfold Spirit of God.
So, here is Jesus Christ, full of the wisdom of the Spirit of God, full of power. “He came – “ verse 7, here’s a monumental moment “ – He takes the scroll out of the hand of Him that sat on the throne.” Now, keep that in mind. Draw some lines around that verse. That marks the unfolding of all that’s going to happen. Jesus takes the scroll, and he says, “I’m going to take back the earth.” Paradise will be regained.
Well, what do you think this causes in heaven? Well, it causes more worship. And so, verse 8, verse 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 – everybody worshiping, worshiping, worshiping. Why do you think heaven is so excited? I’ll tell you why; they’re tired of the rebellion on earth. Right? And when they begin to see that Christ has taken the scroll – He’s going to unroll it, take the title deed, take back the
earth – they get excited about that, and there’s glory and praise and worship culminating in that marvelous statement in verse 12, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” And you can hardly read it without hearing The Messiah.
And so you see then that the beginning of this age starts in heaven – or this phase rather – starts in heaven. God on the throne holds a title deed to the earth. All heaven is worshiping. And they say, “Well, who is worthy to take the earth back and give it to God and restore it to its paradise and intention? Who is worthy?” And no one is found. And all of a sudden, John sees himself weeping. And then comes the Lamb, and the Lamb takes the title deed to the earth as if to say, “I’ll unroll that scroll; I’ll take back the earth.” And when that is established in verse 7, then all heaven begins the hallelujahs again.
So, you begin in chapter 6 with the Lord beginning to unroll the seals. And you have seven seals, and each one that breaks open reveals another thing that’s going to happen on the earth. The first seal is peace. “I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard the noise of thunder, one of the four living creatures said, ‘Come’ –“ or “‘Proceed.’”
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow – “ notice he had no arrows, just a bow “ – and he had a crown: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Now, who’s this? On a white horse, that’s a conqueror. With a bow and no arrows, that means he didn’t have to have a war. He carried his bow, didn’t have to use it. It’s a peaceful conquering. He wore a crown. He went out conquering and to conquer. So, the tribulation period on earth begins then with a false peace, energized by antichrist. If you have any desire to compare that, look at Daniel 9:27 where it says the very same thing. He makes a pact with the people of God and sets up a false peace. So, he is the false Christ; brings what looks like peace, but it doesn’t last long.
I mean it doesn’t last long at all, because the second seal is broken open in verse 4, and another horse comes out. This one isn’t white; this one is red. These are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, by the way. “ – and power was given to him that sat on it to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another.” The second seal is war.
That leads us to the third seal which is broken open, and it’s a black horse, verse 5. “The one who sat upon it had a pair of balances in his hand – ” in other words weighing out and measuring out.
And it says that when it measured out, “ – a measure of wheat – “ verse 6 “ – for a denarius – “ that means you get about one-and-a-half pints of barley or less wheat, maybe a third of that for one day’s wages. In other words, you work one full day to make not enough for one person to eat, or barely enough for one person to eat. Those are famine conditions. And it says, “ – see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” That’s the rich man’s food; don’t touch that.
So, what you have then is peace, followed by war followed by famine. And where there’s world-wide war, there’s going to be world-wide famine. And then the fourth seal comes along, and it’s death.
What follows war and famine but death. Verse 8 says, “There came a rider on a pale horse; his name was Death, and Hades followed after him.” Why? He goes along killing, and Hades comes along scooping up all the dead. “The power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and the beasts of the earth.”
Then you come to the fifth seal, and you find some people under the altar. These are no doubt the redeemed people who have been slain during that period, and now they’re in heaven, and they’re at the very altar of God, the very throne of God, as it were, and they’re under there praying, verse 10, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Because in this war, and in this carnage, and in this famine and all the debacle on earth, the redeemed people are slaughtered by the antichrist. When their spirits come to heaven, they gather together, and they cry to God, “How long are you going to let this go on without bringing vengeance on those who are slaughtering the saints?” That’s a very important section; you ought to make a note about that. That section is a premise on which much future discussion in Revelation is based.
Verse 11 says, “And white robes were given to every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” What he says to them is, “You just be patient. In the meantime, here’s a white robe. Here’s your heavenly garment, enjoy, and hang in there till the rest of the martyrs are done being martyred. It’s not over yet.” As someone once said, “It’s never over until it’s over.” And it’s not over yet.
And so, back to earth, the sixth seal, “…and earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.” Joel talked about that, and so did Peter on the Day of Pentecost. “The stars of heaven fell to the earth…” Now, imagine that folks. The sun goes black; the moon goes blood; the stars fall out of the sky, “…like a fig tree casting untimely figs…” In other words, you have overripe figs, you shake the tree; they all fall downs. The stars all fall out of heaven.
“And the heaven then departs like a scroll…” You ever pull down a blind in a window, and you let go of it, and it …bleh-bleh-bleh-bleh- bleh-bleh…like that? That’s what’s going to happen to the whole heaven – Bleh-bleh-bleh-bleh-bleh-bleh-bleh-bleh…see. The whole thing is gone. “…and every mountain and every island moved out of their places.” Can you imagine that? Scary time, and they get really afraid, and you have tremendous fear in verses 15 to 17, “…they scream for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them, hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of the wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
Now, you can only take so much of this, and you’ll be a basket case, and poor John – can you imagine what it would be like to have all these visions? So, the Lord gives him periodic respite, and chapter 7 is one of those. And we fine, in chapter 7, that there is, in the midst of all of this, some protection going on. There’s going to be some blessing. There are going to be some people spared from this judgment. Everybody’s not going to be under the altar; some believers are going to be spared. Who are they? They’re 144,000 Jews out of every tribe. Dan is omitted because of gross idolatry, Deuteronomy 29. But in case you’re worried about Dan, in Ezekiel 48 they’re included in the kingdom layout, so they are restored graciously to the kingdom; they’re just not allowed to serve in this particular ministry.
Now, what does this say? In the middle of the week, when the holocaust begins, there will already be Jews saved, believing Jesus Christ to be their Savior and Lord, already been saved, and they will go through that same period, and they will not be able to be killed. Why? Because they can’t be hurt. They’re sealed; they’re protected. It says that in verses 2 and 3: nothing can harm them.
So, during that second half, you’re going to have 144,000 Jews going through, preaching the
Gospel. They’re going to be very effective, folks, look at verse 9, “I saw a great multitude, which nobody could number.” I mean they were an uncountable number of all nations, kindreds, peoples, tongues. They stood before the throne, before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palms in their hands. They cried, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Where did they come from? They are the fruit of the 144,000 Jews.
You know, it’s one of the marvelous statements about God’s sovereignty and salvation. God will choose to be saved 144,000 Jews, and he’ll choose 12,000 out of every tribe of Israel, and only he knows where people connect up with their tribes; they lost all the records in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. But he doesn’t lose the records.
God will literally elect 12,000 out of every tribe. So, there will be 144,000 redeemed Jews in that second half. And they will be the evangelists. And out of their ministry will come an innumerable number of people from every tribe and tongue and nation and people, praising the Lord Jesus Christ. And then, of course, you have, following that, a whole lot of worship in the rest of chapter 7. A marvelous, marvelous thing.
Now you come to the seventh seal in chapter 8. And the seventh seal is very often a response to the first six, or the seventh trumpet a response to the first six, or the seventh bowl a response to the first six. And verse 1, by the way, is some people’s life verse to prove there are no women in heaven, because it says there will be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. But I think that may be pressing the point a little.
Well, “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” What does that mean? That means what stopped? What stopped? Well, what goes on in heaven? Worship. It’s just been going on in chapter 7. So, it stops for half an hour. Why? They’re in awe? I mean they are in awe of the holocaust of divine fury being poured out.
So, here come the seven trumpet judgments, another way to signify judgment. The Lord has rolled out the seal, and at the end of it come trumpets announcing judgment. Verse 6, “Seven angels had seven trumpets ready to sound. The first trumpet sounded, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood cast on the earth: a third of the trees and all green grass was burnt up.” That’s a judgment on vegetation. A judgment on vegetation is a judgment on man because he can’t live without vegetation, in many places, and a judgment on animals because they can’t live without vegetation either. And it may be some kind of a judgment on the oxygenation of the world as well, where vegetation is needed.
And so, we see the third part of the creatures that were – the third part and the second trumpet in verse 8, “The third part of the sea became blood; and a third part of the creatures in the sea that had life died; a third part of the ships were destroyed.” God does a judgment, and imagine, one-third of all vegetation is gone, and one-third of the sea becomes blood-like, and a third part of the creatures in the sea die. And you’ve got, floating around on one-third of the seas of the world, the stinking, rotten, putrefying mess. In other words, man failed to recognize the gift of God in creation, and so God takes it away. Man failed to give glory for the wonderful things that He’d made” the green grass, the plants, and the trees, the sea and all the life that’s in it. Man wouldn’t glorify God, and so God takes it away.
And then you have the third trumpet in verse 10, “…and it fell on the third part of the rivers – “ did the judgment “ – and the fountain of waters. It was called Wormwood. And it became bitter.” And this is the judgment on the fresh water – all the fresh water sources are struck with bitterness, and a third of them destroyed like the rest.
The fourth trumpet blows in 12, “…a third part of the sun was smitten…” Do you know what that will do to the calendar? Do you know what that will do to the schedule? Do you know what that will do to day by day? You lose a third of the sun – I don’t know what kind of chaos that will cause in heaven. A third part of the moon is gone, a third part of the stars are gone. A third part of them is darkness, “…and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” Amazing. The whole calendar is wiped out; it’s gone wacko. You’ve got all kinds of screwball eclipses going on all over every place.
“And I heard an angel flying around in the middle of all this – “ verse 13 “ – saying, ‘Woe, woe, woe…’” I can identify with that angel. And what that angel says is, “You think this is bad? Wait till you hear the next three; you haven’t heard anything.” Whew.
And then in 9, the fifth trumpet sounds, and a star falls. Who is that, Lucifer? And he got the key to the bottomless pit. You know who’s in the bottomless pit? Bound demons. Demons that are bound down there by God. There are demons right there, bound in the pit. They can’t get out. But the key’s going to get in the hands of Lucifer in the tribulation. In the fifth trumpet, he’s going to go down, unlock the bottomless pit. And you know what’s going to happen? All the bound demons that have been bound down there, some of them have been bound for centuries, and centuries, and thousands of years. And finally, they’re going to get out, and they’re going to gush out of there, and it says in verse 2, “…as smoke out of the pit, like the smoke of a furnace; and the sun and the air darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” And they’re like locusts, it says in verse 3. It’s like a plague. They just sweep the earth. You know why the tribulation is going to be a terrible time? Because all the bound demons in hell are going to be turned loose to add to the ones that are already running all over the earth.
And it says that, “They were commanded – “ in verse 4 “ – that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men who have not the seal of God on their foreheads.” The demons aren’t going to do anything to the creation; they’re just going to wipe out men. And they don’t even give the privilege to kill them in the fifth trumpet. “They can’t kill them – “ it says in verse 5 “ – they can only torment them five months, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man. And in those days, men shall seek death and not find it; and shall desire to die, and death will flee from them.” They’re going to get stung like the sting of a scorpion. The locust plague of demons are going to cross the globe, torturing men for five months.
Men will be unable to find relief even in death.
And then you have a description, in verses 7 to 10, of these demonic beings, symbolic language. And it says in verse 11, “They had a king over them, and the king is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon – “ it means destroyer “ – and in the Greek tongue Apollyon “ – means destroyer. If you think that’s bad, there are two more trumpets.
And during that period of time, the sixth trumpet blows, and the Euphrates River is opened up, as it were, “…and the angels –“ verse 15 “ – who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year to slay the third part of men.” Here comes a host, released by an angel, who are going to
slaughter one-third of the world. “And the number of the army of the horsemen is two hundred thousand thousand…” that’s 200 million. And they come from the East, across the Euphrates. And so, by verse 18, it says they kill a third of the world, “…by fire, by smoke, and brimstone, which comes out of their mouth.” It may be some kind of weaponry described in those ancient terms.
“And the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands; they should worship demons and idols of gold, and silver, and bronze, and stone, and of wood that can’t see, or hear, or walk: and neither repented they of their murders, nor of their pharmakeia – that’s drugs – nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” Men didn’t repent, they just cursed God.
Now, those are pretty formidable trumpets, aren’t they? There you have the first six trumpets. That’s all going to come in the end of the tribulation. Have you noticed that the Church isn’t around all this time? Chapter 10 is another little respite. I mean poor John, poor us. So, he gives him another little vision of the good part, his face as though it were the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire: and he had in his hand that scroll. And his right foot is on the sea, and his left foot is on the earth. And he cries with a loud voice like a lion, and seven thunders utter their voices. And you know, here he is, in his glorious vision, but he says to John in verse 5, “Don’t let them know about this; don’t tell them. Too fantastic. Judgment on sinners too much, too terrifying, too horrible, too horrifying. Don’t tell them.
Don’t tell them. This is mystery. Verse 7, “The mystery of God shall be finished.” This part we’re not going to reveal.
And John saw in that vision that little scroll, which represented the taking back of the earth, and he took it, and he put it in his mouth. Because he was told, “Take it and put it in your mouth and eat it up, swallow it.” And he said he did it. And he said, “In my mouth it was sweet, and in my belly it’s bitter.” What do you mean, John. “I mean when I see the coming of Jesus Christ in His glory, I have a sweet taste because Christ deserves to reign, and reign in glory, but I also have a bitter taste, because when He comes in glory to reign, I know it’s going to mean the devastation and eternal damnation of the world, and so it’s sweet and bitter.”
Now, before that seventh trumpet sounds, there’s another glimpse of God’s grace in chapter 11. Oh, this is powerful, watch this. These are my two favorite people in the Bible, and I don’t even know who they are, apart, of course, from our Lord. I just think these two guys are terrific. I don’t know who they are, and if the Lord’s looking for volunteers, I volunteer. “And there are two olive trees, two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.” Now, watch this, and of course, the earth’s going to hate them. I mean the world is going to hate them. The New Age society is going to hate them.
The people who explain the rapture away by saying, “Hey, we removed all those people that were holding us back from reaching the next level of consciousness,” they’re going to hate them. And when they preach Jesus Christ and so forth, they’re going to hate them. But you know what happens? “If any man hurts them – “ verse 5 says “ – fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies.” “Haaah!” I mean you could get used to that. You’re being persecuted and antagonized, and they don’t believe your message, and they try to take your life…Haaah!
And they have power to shut heaven. In other words, they can go into a place they want to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and as long as they preach, they’ll cause a drought to happen. And they can control the weather, “…they have power over waters to turn them to blood, smite the earth with all the plagues, as often as they want.”
Now, what do you think is going to be on the news each night? “Next, we have our two witnesses report. This week they were in Cincinnati; it didn’t rain; all the rivers turned to blood; people were struck with plagues. We’ve got to do something about these two guys, but every time we try, we go up in smoke.” And you know what will happen? Finally the beast comes right out of the pit –the beast himself, “…and he overcomes them, and he kills them. And their dead bodies –“ when they die, you know where they are when they die? They’re in Jerusalem. That’s right “ – that great city spiritually called Sodom and Egypt –“ verse 8 says, “ – where our Lord was crucified.” So, they’re murdered in Jerusalem.
Can you imagine what the news will say. “Finally, they’re dead.” And it says they leave their bodies in the street. Now, this is in our modern time. You don’t leave bodies in the street. They leave them in the street. “And the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations see their dead bodies three days and a half.” Now, how can a whole-wide world see dead bodies in Jerusalem? Only one way; how’s that? Television. It couldn’t be true a hundred years ago. They couldn’t have seen them all over the world. And they don’t permit their bodies to be put in graves. Why? Because they’re so excited, “… they rejoice, make merry, and send presents.” Happy Dead Witnesses Day, here’s your gift.
That’s right; the world is so happy that these guys are dead. And I can just see some reporter standing there saying, “Well, they’ve been dead now for three-and-a-half days, and we are so relieved that these men are removed from the earth.” And then in verse 11, it says, “After three days and an half, the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet –“ and I’d like to see the instant replay on that one “ – and fear fell on them who saw them.” Don’t you imagine it did? And that’s what’s going to happen.
And then I love this, “And a voice from heaven said, ‘Come up here.’” Whoooooo! See. And they did. “And the same hour there was a great earthquake, a tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” Terror, sheer terror. Listen, God will never be without a witness, will he? Ever.
And after that little interlude, we come back to the seventh trumpet, and when it blows, it’s the finale, folks. I love this. Verse 15, “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.” That’s it, folks. When that seventh trumpet blows, the kingdoms of the world belong to Jesus Christ. Marvelous, marvelous.
Chapter 12 goes back to pick up some more details before we get to the final seven bowls, and it describes Satan’s incessant persecution of Israel and the Messiah and the people of God. It talks about how he has always warred against God’s people. The woman in this chapter is Israel. The child is Christ. The dragon is Satan. And the dragon has always been after the child born of the woman. And he has fought in the past, and he will fight in the future. Verse 7 says Satan’s demons and Michael and his angels are going to have a war in heaven. Guess who will win? Super angel Michael and his angels will win. They’ll throw, verse 9, the end says, “…cast out into the earth all the demons.”
Now, what happens is, listen, you’ve got demons that have come out of the pit now, like locust all over the place. You’ve got demons that have been floating around in the air, rulers in high places; they’re thrown down. So, you’ve got them out of the pit on the earth, cast out of heaven, no longer having access to God as Satan did in Job, when he went before the throne of God. They’ll all be to
the earth. And on the earth, the incredible result of a demonically infested world. And the attack has always been sort of directed at Israel, but the rest of chapter 12 talks about how He protects Israel, how God wonderfully protects them. In fact, at one point, this whole host of – this army is chasing Israel, and the ground just swallows them in verse 16. Just opens up and swallows them all.
Marvelous.
Chapter 13 picks up another detail; it introduces us to the antichrist, the world ruler, and he’s something. He leads all this attack on God’s people. In verse 4, at the end, it says, “Who is like him? Who is able to make war with him? He has a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given to him to continue 42 months.” That’s three-and-a-half years. That’s the last half of the tribulation again. “He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, blaspheming His name, His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. It was given him to make war with the saints and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” He has tremendous power, tremendous influence.
He also has a cohort. Chapter 13 verse 11 to the end introduces the false prophet. The beast is the antichrist, the false prophet is his cohort. It’s like Pharaoh had Jannes and Jambres; like Balak had Balaam; like Absalom had Ahithophel. The antichrist will have his cohort, and his job is to point everybody to the antichrist, tell them all to worship the antichrist. And he performs some lying wonders and lying signs, and he builds a big image to the beast and makes it come alive through some electronic ventriloquism, or whatever it talks about in verse 15. Or better yet, he puts a demon right in that idol itself, and it becomes a demon-possessed idol.
And now the world is so utterly demon influenced, that everybody in the world could potentially be a raving maniac, like the boy we read about, who fell in the fire and fell in the water and foamed at the mouth and rolled in the dirt. Everybody in the world could be like the demoniac of Gadara, who lived in the caves and cut his body all over the place with stones because he was so demon infested. The whole earth is literally crawling with demons, and they’re in control of everything. And they even are able to make an image speak, and it draws the whole world to worship the antichrist, and that’s the job of the false prophet.
And then he says in verses 16 to 18 that in this vision he saw that if you didn’t have a number, you couldn’t buy or sell; you couldn’t operate in society. And the number was 666. That isn’t significant, except that it represents man. Man was created on the sixth day. Seven is God’s perfect number, and no matter how hard man tries, he’s always 666; he’s short of perfection. So, it’s the number of man’s system. It’s always curious to me that all the taxicabs in Israel start with the number 666, then a dash, and then the rest of the numbers. I don’t think that’s particularly significant; it’s just interesting.
But what is significant is – what is interesting, and what is significant is that you can’t operate in this society unless you have the number on your forehead or on your hand. And we’re getting to that.
We already have credit cards and numbers. If you have a bank card, where you can go stick your bank thing in, punch your number into the deal, you’ve already got your number. Connect it with your bank card number, they know exactly who you are, and they can find out everything about you. And if they decided that you couldn’t buy or sell, all they got to do is remove that number. And if you have a cashless society, and if you – the problem with a credit card is you lose it, so they’re developing ways to put it on your hand and your forehead, because in a cold climate, those are the two parts of your body that are readily exposed and can be scanned easily. And so, antichrist will
rule the world, and he’ll accommodate it all, and he’ll control it all because of the power he has.
I told you the last time that they now have developed – and this is incredible to me – they’re trying to develop computer chip implants, where they can put a chip in an individual, right into your body, that’s compatible between your brain, the chip, and a computer system, so that whatever profession you’re in, you can have instant access to all material in a library that will come right from the computer, into your chip, and into your brain. And if you just did that with a guy like antichrist, for sure he could control everything.
Verse 1 of chapter 14 looks again to the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see that the 144,000 are in heaven, and they’re having a great time singing praise. And they’re singing praise because of the victory of Jesus Christ. Now, of course, all of the holocaust comes to final focus in Armageddon. And if you look over at chapter 14 verse 14, and we’ll move more rapidly through this remaining part –rest easy; we’re on schedule here – but in chapter 14 we begin to get a glimpse of Armageddon, and this idea of thrusting in the sickle, in verse 15, the sickle and the reaping and the harvest always speaks of judgment. The Lord comes in terrifying judgment.
Verse 20 sums it up, “The winepress is trodden outside the city, and the blood came out of the winepress, even to the horses’ bridles – “ that’s four or five feet high “ – by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” That’s 200 miles. That’s the length of Israel. Five feet deep, the length of Israel, is used to symbolize the bloodbath. And grapes have no strength against the smiting feet of Almighty God, and so you see God tramping out His judgment.
And the world will be judged. In fact, earlier in the chapter, verses 9 to 12, he says, “Hang in there, saints, be patient, because God is coming in judgment.” And if you’re martyred – if you die as a martyr, verse 13, “Blessed are you who die in the Lord.” So, don’t worry about that; God’s working out His wrath; He’s working out His judgment.
And now, as we come to chapter 15, we come to the last seven judgments. And this is like a Gatling gun –bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. It just happens at the very, very end, seven last plagues. And they fill up, verse 1 says, the wrath of God. And you see this tremendous scene in heaven unfolding in chapter 15, and it’s getting ready for the final judgment. And verse 8 says, “The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” This is a private thing. God gets all the smoke rolling in heaven, and they burst out in chapter 16, and the first bowl is poured out, and instantly, it says, “There fell a foul and painful sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast and upon them who worshiped his image.” This is the helkos. This is like the beggar who had the sores. It may well refer to some cancerous sores.
Immediately after that comes the second bowl poured out or vial – the same as a bowl. And “…the sea became like the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.” A stinking mess with a surface of dead creatures beyond comprehension.
“And the third angel poured out his bowl upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.” Not a fourth anymore, not a third, but now the whole thing. Devastating judgment, pollution of fresh water.
Down in verses 8 and 9, the fourth bowl is poured out, and the sun is so hot that it burns men with fire; it scorches them to death. And instead of repenting, they blaspheme the name of God.
And then the fifth one – incredible, but after the scorching sun comes darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain. Why? They couldn’t see where they’re going; there is no light at all, pitch blackness, and they are susceptible to terrible injury and pain and can find no relief because they can’t see where they are. And may I add, by the way, verse 11, “…blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores…” which takes us all the way back to the beginning and says all these plagues are cumulative. Cumulative.
“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the river Euphrates, and now comes the way of the kings of the east…” that army we talked about earlier, and then Armageddon. The final battle on the plain of Armageddon. I’ve been there; I’ve stood on the plain. Napoleon said it was the finest battle place he had ever seen on the face of the earth.
And three unclean spirits like frogs, these are demons of a special nature – come out of the slime of hell itself, and out of the mouth of the dragon, and the mouth of the beast, and the mouth of the false prophet. And there, by the way, you have the unholy trinity. They are spirits of demons working miracles. They gather the world to the battle at Armageddon, and they don’t know it’s the great day of God Almighty.
And all the world comes to Armageddon to fight. Daniel 11, I think, describes it. The kings of the north come down, sweep through the south. The king of the east comes up. The west gets involved. The kings of the east come. They’re all fighting, and this massacre is going on. In the midst of it all, out of heaven comes Jesus Christ.
The seventh bowl is poured out at the end of chapter 16, and there’s lightning and thunder. Every island fled away. The mountains were not found, and there was hail out of heaven. Can you believe this? And they weight about a hundred pounds each. That’s a hundred-pound block of ice. And that’s the finale.
Chapter 17 and 18 are very important. They go back over the second half. And you know what they tell us? The question you ask here is this, “John, what about religion in the tribulation? Will there be religion?” Chapter 17 describes it. There will be religion. The false church – you know what it’s called? If the true Church is a bride, what is the false church? A harlot. A harlot. And it talks about the harlot that sits on many waters, that drinks the wine of fornication, that sits on the beast. The harlot rides the antichrist. The antichrist political leader and the false harlot religious world system exist together.
But the antichrist is consumed by his own power, so finally he devours the harlot; he just gobbles it up, and he says, “The whole world will now worship me.” I believe that’s when the false prophet sets up the image, and the whole world is commanded to worship him. No other religion is tolerated but him because the beast, in verse 16, says eats up the harlot.
Now, chapter 18 takes us back over it and asks another question. You say, “Well, what’s going on in the world at this time? I mean what are the economics like?” This is an economic view of the same period. What’s going to be going on? Well, when everything starts to collapse in verse 2, this
angel says, “…Babylon the great –“ and Babylon is the name for the final world economic system “ –is fallen, is fallen; it’s become the habitation of demons.” Demons have taken over the world. And the nations are saddened.
Verse 5 says, “The sins of the world have reached to heaven, and God’s remembered her iniquities.” When they begin to see the whole system come to collapse, everybody’s economy collapses, all the money collapses, the banks collapse, everything goes.
In verse 10, “‘Alas,’ they say in torment, ‘alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; no man buyeth their merchandise anymore.” Nobody cares about that anymore; they’re just trying to survive. Who’s going to go shopping? Who’s going to the mall then?
“The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and thyine wood, and all kinds of ivory, and most precious wood, and of bronze, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and incense, and ointments, and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour, and wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, slaves, souls of men.” Who cares? Who cares?
And the ship trade is going to go, verse 17. All the transportation system falls apart. And people in verse 19 are throwing dirt all over their heads, weeping and wailing, “Alas, alas; it’s over; it’s over.”
And while everybody in earth is doing that, verse 20 says, “All you folks in heaven – “ what? “ – rejoice. Rejoice.” You know what’ll be a worse thing of all in the world? The music will all end; no more music. Verse 22, “The voice of harpers, minstrels, flute players, trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee – “ no music “ – and no craftsman –” no art, nothing, the end of everything; it’s all over. The party’s over on earth.
You know what happens in chapter 19? The party begins in heaven. All of a sudden, in verse 1, “Hallelujah.” In verse 3, “Hallelujah.” Verse 4, “Hallelujah.” Verse 6, “Hallelujah.” What are you all so excited about? The end of verse 6, “…for the Lord God omnipotent –“ what? “ –reigns.” Finally. “And let’s be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and the bride has made herself ready.” And now the redeemed are joined to their Lord. “…given linen clean and white, fine linen the righteousness of the saints.” Glorious.
I think this is going on in heaven. “Everybody get your duds on, folks, we’re going to the kingdom. We’re going to the kingdom.” How are we getting there? Here it comes; here’s how you’re getting there. In verse 11, “I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and Him that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. And His eyes are like flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; He had a name written, that no man knew…” and it goes on to describe Him.
And in verse 14, here we are folks; this is us, “The armies that were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” That’s us. This is Him coming back to set up His kingdom; that finale as He comes to Armageddon in blazing glory to establish His kingdom on earth. And He’s coming in white, on a white horse, and we’re coming on white horses, in white garments, with Him. We go to be with Him; we come in glory with Him.
I love at the end of verse 16, His name is, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” And when He comes, devastation, Armageddon. And the result of Armageddon is in verses 17 and following: carnage, death. He calls the birds to eat the flesh.
Verse 20, the beast, the false prophet are both cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the people in the armies who remained are slaughtered with the sword. You know what happens? Chapter 20, the Lord sets up His kingdom. That’s right. Look at verse 4, “I saw thrones…” What are they for? Look at the end of verse 4; they’re for the saints who lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. You know what happens at the end of the thousand years?
Verse 7, Satan’s loosed a little while. He’s been bound the whole time. He’s loosed a little while. He goes out into the world. And you know that during the kingdom, there will be some people who went in, in physical bodies. They’ll have kids. They’ll repopulate the earth. There’ll be a population all over the earth. Some of those won’t even believe in Jesus Christ, though He’s been reigning in the city of Jerusalem for a thousand years. Isn’t that amazing? Not so amazing. They didn’t recognize Him the first time He came either. They rejected Him when they did know who He was.
And so, Satan gives a final rebellion, and verse 9 says at the end fire comes from heaven and devours all those rebels. And then in verse 11, all the unsaved of all history are collected to the great white thrown judgment. And verse 15 says when their names are not found written in the book of life, they were cast into hell. That’s the end of the thousand-year kingdom.
You say, “What happens after that?” Chapter 21, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth…” Verse 2, “…and a new Jerusalem.” You say, “What is it like?” Verse 3, “…God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” That’s the eternal state, isn’t it? That’s the new heaven and the new earth. And then the rest of chapter 21 and into chapter 22 describes it.
Well, the last message comes at the end of 22. Can I give it to you? Look at verse 17, “And the Spirit and the bride say –“ what?” –‘Come.’ And let him that heareth say, ‘Come.’ And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” That, my friend, is the last invitation. Come. Come to Christ. Come and drink. Come and partake of His salvation. Because if this happens, it will be too late.
Verse 11, when the judgment comes, “He that is unjust, will be unjust still: and he that is filthy, will be filthy still: but he that is righteous, will be righteous still: he that is holy, will be holy still.” In other words, whatever you are when it happens is what you’re going to be forever. Can you say with John, “Even so,” what? “come Lord Jesus; I’m ready”? I hope so.
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SIXTEEN PROPHECIES calculated by Dr. Peter Stoner
There are more than three hundred prophecies from the Old Testament which deal with the first advent of Christ. Every one of them was completely fulfilled
by Jesus Christ.
Let us see what happens when we take more than eight prophecies.
Suppose we add eight more prophecies to our list, and assume that their chance of
fulfillment is the same as the eight just considered. The chance that one man would
fulfill all sixteen is 1 x 1028x 1017 or 1 in 1045.
Let us try to visualize this as we did before. Take this number of silver dollars. If
you make these into a solid ball, you will have a great sphere with a center at the
earth, and extending in all directions more than 30 times as far as from the earth to
the sun. (If a train had started from the earth at the time the Declaration of
Independence was signed, and had traveled steadily toward the sun at the rate of
sixty miles per hour, day and night, it would be about reaching its destination today.
But remember that our ball of silver dollars extends thirty times that far in all
directions.) If you can imagine the marking of one silver dollar, and then thoroughly
stirring it into this great ball, and blindfolding a man and telling him to pick out one
dollar, and expect it to be the marked one, you have somewhat of a picture of how
absolutely the fulfillment of sixteen prophecies referring to Jesus Christ proves both
that He is the Son of God and that our Bible is inspired.
Certainly God directed the writing of His Word.
1 in 10 to the 45 power or 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
48 EIGHT PROPHOCIES
In order to extend this consideration beyond all bounds of human comprehension,
let us consider forty-eight prophecies, similar in their human chance of fulfillment
to the eight which we originally considered, using a much more conservative
number, 1 in 1021. Applying the same principle of probability used so far, we find
the chance that any one man fulfilled all forty-eight prophecies to be 1 in 10157.
This is really a large number and it represents an extremely small chance. Let us try
to visualize it. The silver dollar, which we have been using, is entirely too large. We
must select a smaller object. The electron is about as small an object as we know of.
It is so small that it will take 2.5 x 1015of them laid side by side to make a line,
single file, one inch long. If we were going to count the electrons in this line one
inch long, and counted 250 each minute, and if we counted day and night, it would
take us 19,000,000 years to count just the one-inch line of electrons. If we had a
cubic inch of these electrons and we tried to count them, it would take us 1.2 x 1038
years (2 x 1028 times the 6 billion years back to the creation of the solar system).
With this introduction, let us go back to our chance of 1 in 10157. Let us suppose that
we are taking this number of electrons, marking one, and thoroughly stirring it into
the whole mass, then blindfolding a man and letting him try to find the right one.
What chance has he of finding the right one? What kind of a pile will this number of
electrons make? They make an inconceivably large volume.
The distance from our system of stars, or galaxy, to the next nearest one is nearly
1,500,000 light-years; that is the distance that light will travel in 1,500,000 years
going 186,000 miles each and every second. This distance is so great that if every
man, woman and child in the United States, 200,000,000 of them, had a library of
65,000 volumes, and you collected every book in all of these libraries and them
started on this journey of 1,500,000 light-years, and decided to place one letter from
one of the books on each mile (e.g., if “the” was the first word in the first book you
would put “t” on the first mile, “h” on the second mile, and “e” on the third mile; then
leave a mile blank without a letter and start the next word in the same manner, etc.),
before you complete your journey you will use up every letter in every book of every
one of the libraries and have to call for more.
Space, by some authorities, is supposed to extend in all directions to the distance, not
of 1,500,000 light-years. but more than 4,000 times that far or 6,000,000,000 lightyears. Let us make a solid ball of electrons, extending in all directions from the earth to the distance of six billion light-years. Have we used up our 10157 electrons? No, we have made such a small hole in the mass that we cannot see it. We can make this solid ball of electrons, extending in all directions to the distance of six billion lightyears 6 x 1028 times. Suppose again that we had this great amount of electrons, 10157 of them, and we were able to make 500 of these tremendous balls, six billion light-years in radius, each minute. If we worked day and night it would take us 1010times the 6 billion years back to creation to use up our supply of electrons. Now, one of these electrons was marked and thoroughly stirred into the whole mass; blindfold your man and ask him to find the marked electron.
No man could in any way look over this mass of electrons, blindfolded or not
blindfolded, and pick out any one electron, let alone the one that had been marked.
(The electron, in fact, is so small that it cannot be seen with powerful microscope.)
To the extent, then, that we know this blindfolded man cannot pick out the marked
electron, we know that the Bible is inspired. This is not merely evidence. It is proof
of the Bible’s inspiration by God–proof so definite that the universe is not large
enough to hold the evidence. Some will say that our estimates of the probability of
the fulfillment of these prophecies are too large and the numbers should be reduced.
Ask a man to submit his own estimates, and if they are smaller than these we have
used, we shall add a few more prophecies to be evaluated and this same number will
be reestablished or perhaps exceeded.
Our Bible students claim that there are more than three hundred prophecies dealing
with Christ’s first advent. If this number is correct, and it no doubt is, you could set
your estimates ridiculously low on the whole three hundred prophecies and still
obtain tremendous evidence of inspiration.
For example you may place all of your estimates at one in four. You may say that one
man in four has been born in Bethlehem: that one of these children in four was taken
to Egypt, to avoid slaughter; that one in four of these came back and made his home
in Nazareth; that one in four of these was a carpenter; that one in four of these was
betrayed for thirty pieces of silver; that one in four of these has been crucified on a
cross; that one in four was then buried in a rich man’s tomb; yes, even that one in four rose from the dead on the third day; and so on for all of the three hundred prophecies and from them I will build a number much larger than the one we obtained from the forty-eight prophecies.
Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact proved perhaps
more absolutely than any other fact in the world.
Here are Bible references for 50 reasons to believe we are in the Bible’s End Times or Last Days:
1. Increase in natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:12-14
2. Wars and conflicts happening worldwide.
– Matthew 24:6-7
– Revelation 6:4
3. Advances in technology and the ability to track and control individuals.
– Revelation 13:16-17
4. Global economic instability and the rise of a cashless society.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Revelation 18:11-13
5. Rise of false prophets and the spread of false teachings.
– Matthew 24:11
– 1 Timothy 4:1
6. Persecution of Christians and religious intolerance.
– Matthew 24:9
– 2 Timothy 3:12
7. Rise of terrorism and extremist ideologies.
– Matthew 24:6
– Revelation 6:8
8. Increase in immorality, including sexual immorality and the acceptance of alternative lifestyles.
– Romans 1:26-27
– 2 Timothy 3:1-5
9. Prevalence of drug abuse and addiction.
– Galatians 5:19-21
– Revelation 9:21
10. Breakdown of the traditional family structure.
– 2 Timothy 3:2-4
– Matthew 10:34-36
11. Rise of globalism and the push for a one-world government.
– Revelation 13:7
– Daniel 7:23
12. Widespread corruption and dishonesty in politics and business.
– Isaiah 59:14
– Micah 7:3
13. Increased focus on materialism and consumerism.
– Matthew 6:19-21
– 2 Timothy 3:2
14. Deception and manipulation through mass media and social media.
– 2 Timothy 3:13
– Ephesians 4:14
15. Abandonment of biblical principles and the rejection of God’s laws.
– 2 Timothy 4:3-4
– Isaiah 5:20
16. Increase in occult practices and the popularity of the supernatural.
– Deuteronomy 18:9-12
– Revelation 21:8
17. Signs in the heavens, such as blood moons and celestial alignments.
– Joel 2:30-31
– Luke 21:25-26
18. Rise of apostasy within the church.
– 2 Thessalonians 2:3
– 1 Timothy 4:1
19. Emergence of new diseases and pandemics.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:8
20. Israel’s existence as a nation and conflicts in the Middle East.
– Ezekiel 37:21-22
– Zechariah 12:2-3
21. The rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
– Daniel 9:27
– 2 Thessalonians 2:4
22. Increase in knowledge and the rapid spread of information.
– Daniel 12:4
– 2 Timothy 3:7
23. Rise of atheism and the rejection of faith.
– Psalm 14:1
– 2 Peter 3:3
24. Persecution and martyrdom of Christians in various parts of the world.
– Matthew 24:9
– Revelation 6:9-11
25. Rise of the antichrist figure and his influence on world events.
– 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
– Revelation 13:1-8
26. Famine and food shortages in different regions.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:5-6
27. Disregard for human life, including abortion and euthanasia.
– Jeremiah 1:5
– Exodus 20:13
28. Division and polarization in society.
– Matthew 10:35-36
– 2 Timothy 3:4
29. Rejection of traditional values and moral relativism.
– Isaiah 5:20
– Romans 1:22-23
30. Increase in occult practices and the popularity of witchcraft.
– Leviticus 19:31
– Galatians 5:19-20
31. Signs in the sky, such as unusual celestial phenomena.
– Luke 21:25
– Acts 2:19-20
32. Increase in lawlessness and disregard for authority.
– 2 Timothy 3:1-5
– Matthew 24:12
33. Global unrest and civil wars.
– Matthew 24:6
– Revelation 6:4
34. Rise of religious syncretism and the blending of different faiths.
– Matthew 24:4-5
– 1 Timothy 4:1
35. Intensification of natural disasters and extreme weather events.
– Matthew 24:7
– Luke 21:25-26
36. Spread of false gospels and spiritual deception.
– 2 Corinthians 11:4
– 2 Timothy 4:3-4
37. Increase in knowledge of biblical prophecy and its fulfillment.
– Daniel 12:4
– Matthew 24:32-33
38. Rise of artificial intelligence and potential for a technological “beast” system.
– Revelation 13:15-17
– Daniel 12:4
39. Push for global surveillance and control.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Revelation 14:9-11
40. Rise of the European Union and its potential role in end-time events.
– Daniel 2:41-43
– Revelation 17:12-14
41. Threat of nuclear warfare and the development of advanced weapons.
– Matthew 24:22
– Revelation 8:7
42. Increase in seismic activity and volcanic eruptions.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:12-14
43. Signs of moral decay and the normalization of sin.
– 2 Timothy 3:2-4
– Romans 1:26-27
44. Decline in religious freedom and the marginalization of believers.
– Matthew 24:9
– 2 Timothy 3:12
45. Loss of privacy and invasion of personal liberties.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Daniel 12:4
46. Rise of a global surveillance state.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Revelation 14:9-11
47. Disintegration of social institutions and breakdown of societal norms.
– Isaiah 3:5
– 2 Timothy 3:1-5
48. Increase in global travel and interconnectedness.
– Daniel 12:4
– Revelation 11:9-10
49. The rise of apocalyptic cults and doomsday predictions.
– Matthew 24:4-5
– 2 Timothy 4:3-4
50. Personal experiences and perceived signs and revelations from God.
– Matthew 24:36
– Mark 13:32
These Bible references provide relevant passages that are often interpreted as indicating signs of the End Times or Last Days. It’s important to note that interpretations may vary among different individuals. And you may need to read the verses in the entire context.
Beleive In The Lord Jesus Christ
1. Faith in Jesus Christ: Christians believe that faith in Jesus Christ is crucial for salvation. They trust in his sacrificial death and resurrection, and they rely on his grace and mercy. During the End Times, Christians maintain their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, seeking strength and guidance from him.
2. Trust in God’s Provision: Christians believe that God provides for their needs. During the Tribulation, they may face hardships, persecution, and trials. However, they rely on God’s promises and trust that he will sustain them through these difficulties.
3. Prayer and Spiritual Discipline: Christians emphasize the importance of prayer and maintaining a close relationship with God. They believe that seeking God’s guidance, strength, and protection through prayer is essential during challenging times.
4. Study of Scripture: Christians believe that studying the Bible is crucial for understanding God’s plan and preparing for the End Times. They seek to gain wisdom and discernment from the Scriptures, which they believe will equip them to navigate the challenges they may face.
5. Fellowship and Support: Christians often find strength in community and fellowship with other believers. They come together to support, encourage, and pray for one another. During the End Times, Christians may find solace and strength in the shared experiences and support of their fellow believers.
6. Endurance and Perseverance: Christians understand that the End Times and Tribulation may involve enduring difficult circumstances. They believe in the importance of perseverance, remaining steadfast in their faith, and remaining faithful to God until the end.
Here are some Bible verses that we can turn to for guidance and encouragement during the End Times:
1. Matthew 24:42-44: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6: “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”
3. Revelation 3:10: “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”
4. 2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
5. Psalm 46:1-3: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
6. Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
These verses are just a few examples, and there are many more passages throughout the Bible that provide guidance, comfort, and encouragement for Christians during the End Times.
For new Christians facing the Tribulation and the concept of the Mark of the Beast, here are some points to consider:
1. Firm Foundation in Christ: New Christians should focus on establishing a strong foundation in their faith by developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This involves regular prayer, studying the Bible, and seeking guidance from mature believers or spiritual mentors.
2. Understanding the Mark of the Beast: The Mark of the Beast is mentioned in the book of Revelation (Revelation 13:16-18). While interpretations may vary among Christians, it generally signifies allegiance to the Antichrist and rejection of God. New Christians should study and understand the biblical passages regarding the Mark of the Beast to discern its significance and implications.
3. Trusting in God’s Protection: Christians believe that God is their protector, even during times of tribulation. While they may face challenges and persecution, they trust in God’s promises and rely on his provision and guidance. New Christians should cultivate a deep trust in God’s sovereignty and seek his protection and strength.
4. Remaining Faithful to Christ: Christians are called to remain faithful to Jesus Christ, even in the face of adversity. This includes refusing to worship or pledge allegiance to any other entity, including the Antichrist. New Christians should strengthen their commitment to Christ and stand firm in their faith, regardless of the pressures they may face.
5. Seeking Fellowship and Support: New Christians should seek fellowship with other believers, whether within a local church or online communities. Connecting with mature believers can provide support, guidance, and encouragement during difficult times. It’s important to surround oneself with individuals who share a similar faith and can provide spiritual accountability.
6. Prayer and Discernment: Prayer is a powerful tool for seeking God’s guidance and protection. New Christians should prioritize prayer, asking for wisdom, discernment, and strength to navigate the challenges of the Tribulation. They should also seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in interpreting the signs of the times and discerning the truth amidst deception.
It’s important to note that the specific details of the End Times and the Tribulation remain a subject of interpretation and debate among Christians. Therefore, it’s advisable for new Christians to seek guidance from trusted biblical teachers or pastors who can provide further insight and help navigate these complex topics.
Here are more reasons to believe the Bible is True:
Fulfilled Prophecies:
– Accurate predictions, like Jesus’ lineage, Genesis 49:10, confirm divine foreknowledge.
– Prophecies concerning Jesus’ birthplace, Micah 5:2 and crucifixion, Psalm 22 were fulfilled.
– Over 300 prophecies about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were fulfilled, revealing supernatural origin.
Historical Reliability:
– Detailed descriptions of historical events, supported by other ancient sources, enhance credibility.
– Consistency between biblical accounts and archaeological findings bolsters accuracy.
– Prophecies involving historical figures/events add to historical reliability.
Eyewitness Accounts:
– Apostles’ testimonies of Jesus’ life and resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 affirm the Bible.
– Willingness to suffer/die for beliefs shows conviction, Acts 5:29-32
– Accounts of Jesus’ resurrection by eyewitnesses validate His claims, Luke 24 John 20-21.
Archaeological Confirmations:
– Discoveries like Dead Sea Scrolls validate biblical accounts.
– Archaeology supports narratives of cities, customs, people.
– Physical evidence confirms historical accuracy.
Internal Consistency:
– Bible’s seamless message across genres reflects unified authorship.
– Themes of redemption, sin, and God’s plan thread throughout.
– Coherent narratives/teachings across authors/centuries.
Transformed Lives:
– Personal encounters affirm life-changing impact.
– Teachings resonate with struggles, provide guidance.
– Testimonies of transformed lives provide evidence.
Reliable Manuscript Transmission:
– Manuscript copies demonstrate preservation.
– Comparison verifies accurate transmission.
– Variants don’t alter teachings, ensure reliability.
Fulfilled Predictions:
– Prophecies on rise/fall of empires fulfilled accurately.
– Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus’ life.
– Warnings about false teachers proved true.
Cross-Cultural Acceptance:
– Global acceptance, translation signify universal appeal.
– Teachings on human dignity influence justice.
– Influence seen in art, literature, music.
Transcendent Truth:
– Message transcends cultures, speaks to human condition.
– Timeless wisdom valued throughout history.
– Message of redemption points beyond the physical.
Personal Experience:
– Relationship with God and Bible impacts transformation.
– Bible’s guidance addresses personal struggles.
– Message of hope provides purpose and meaning.
Prophetic Accuracy:
– Precise prophecies surpass human foresight.
– Fulfillment of messianic prophecies in Jesus.
– Prophecies on kingdoms’ rise/fall validate Bible.
Scientific Corroboration:
– Bible anticipates scientific understanding, Isaiah 40:22
– Water cycle description reflects accurate knowledge, Job 36:27-28
– Emphasis on health aligns with modern practices, Leviticus 11
Philosophical Consistency:
– Coherent worldview addresses fundamental questions.
– Teachings on free will provide rational framework.
– Philosophical coherence contributes to understanding.
Manuscript Evidence:
– Manuscript distribution strengthens reliability.
– Consistent transmission safeguards text.
– Study of variants enhances understanding.
Cultural Impact:
– Influence on art, literature, music underscores impact.
– Teachings on justice shape societal values.
– Role in shaping ethics and law significant.
Comparative Reliability:
– Bible’s manuscript support surpasses other ancient documents.
– Internal consistency unique among ancient texts.
– Archaeological, historical support strengthens reliability.
Transformative Teachings:
– Teachings on forgiveness, love impact personal lives.
– Ethical guidelines promote healthy relationships.
– Promotes compassion, justice, social responsibility.
Testimony of Jesus:
– Jesus affirmed Old Testament authority, Matthew 5:17-18
– Jesus’ life, teachings validate Bible.
– Resurrection validates claims, divine origin.
Resilience Through History:
– Bible survived persecution, attempts to suppress.
– Enduring impact through centuries affirms its truth.
– Consistent message, impact over time support validity.
Jesus’ Miracles and Teachings:
Illuminating Divine Power and Wisdom
Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Christianity, left an indelible mark on history through his extraordinary miracles and profound teachings. These facets of his ministry not only showcased his divine power but also conveyed timeless wisdom that continues to resonate with humanity.
Miracles that Defied the Natural Order: Jesus’ miracles, recorded in the Gospels, transcended the boundaries of the natural world, revealing his divine authority and compassion. Turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11) and feeding thousands with a few loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:13-21) demonstrated his ability to manipulate physical elements.
Healing and Restoration: A hallmark of Jesus’ ministry was his healing of the sick and afflicted. The blind received sight, the deaf heard, the lame walked, and even the dead were raised to life. The account of Jesus healing the blind man (John 9) and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11) showcased his power over illness and death.
Nature’s Obedience to the Master: Miracles over nature, such as calming a storm (Mark 4:35-41) and walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33), underscored Jesus’ dominion over creation itself. His command over natural elements reinforced his divine authority and revealed the extent of his power.
Teachings that Transformed Hearts: Jesus’ teachings, conveyed through parables, direct commands, and conversations, explored profound spiritual and ethical truths. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) remains one of the most comprehensive statements of ethical principles, emphasizing humility, mercy, and peacemaking.
Radical Love and Forgiveness: Central to Jesus’ teachings was the revolutionary concept of unconditional love and forgiveness. His parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) and his instruction to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) challenged societal norms and emphasized the transformative power of love.
Kingdom of God and Salvation: Jesus’ teachings consistently pointed to the Kingdom of God, inviting individuals to turn from their old ways and embrace a new life. His parables of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) and the treasure in the field (Matthew 13:44) illustrated the incomparable value of the Kingdom.
Authority and Fulfillment of Scripture: Jesus often referenced the Hebrew Scriptures, confirming his fulfillment of prophetic promises. His declaration, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17), affirmed his divine mission.
Demonstration of Humility and Servanthood: In washing his disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17), Jesus exemplified humility and servant leadership. This profound act underscored his teachings that the greatest in his Kingdom would be the servant of all.
In conclusion, Jesus’ miracles and teachings form a cohesive narrative of divine power and wisdom. His supernatural acts revealed his authority over creation, sickness, and death, while his teachings offered transformative insights into ethical living, love, and the Kingdom of God. The legacy of Jesus’ miraculous ministry and profound teachings continues to inspire, challenge, and guide countless individuals across cultures and generations.
Global Unrest In The World Today:
The Bible predicts a time of great global unrest in the end times. This unrest is often referred to as “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in global unrest. There have been more wars and conflicts, more terrorist attacks, and more geopolitical tensions.
Some of the most notable examples of global unrest in recent years include:
- The Syrian Civil War, which has been ongoing since 2011 and has caused a humanitarian crisis.
- The Yemeni Civil War, which has been ongoing since 2015 and has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
- The Rohingya refugee crisis, which has seen over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims flee Myanmar since 2017.
- The rise of ISIS, which has carried out terrorist attacks in countries around the world.
- The increasing tensions between the United States and China, which have the potential to escalate into a major conflict.
These are just a few examples of the many conflicts and tensions that are currently taking place around the world. This unrest is a sign of the times, and it is a reminder that we are living in the end times.
The Bible also predicts that the imminence of Christ’s return will be accompanied by a number of other signs, including:
- The rise of false christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:24)
- The increase of natural disasters (Matthew 24:7)
- The persecution of Christians (Matthew 24:9)
- The gathering of the elect (Matthew 24:31)
These signs are also being fulfilled in our day. There have been many false christs and false prophets who have arisen in recent years. Natural disasters have also become more frequent and more severe. Christians are being persecuted in many parts of the world. And there is a growing sense of urgency among Christians about the need to be prepared for Christ’s return.
The Bible does not give us a specific date for Christ’s return. However, it is clear that we are living in the end times, and that His return is imminent. We should be watching for the signs of His coming, and we should be prepared to meet Him.
In conclusion, the global unrest that we are seeing today is a sign of the times. It is a reminder that we are living in the end times, and that Christ’s return is imminent. We should be watching for the signs of His coming, and we should be prepared to meet Him.
Additional Information
In addition to the Bible verses mentioned above, there are many other scriptures that speak of global unrest in the end times. For example, the book of Revelation describes a time when “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Revelation 6:4). It also speaks of “wars and rumors of wars” (Revelation 8:13).
The Bible’s predictions of global unrest are not meant to scare us. They are meant to warn us and to prepare us for what is to come. We should not be surprised by the increasing unrest in the world. Instead, we should use it as an opportunity to turn to God and to prepare for His return.
The Biblical Last Days Amidst Corruption and Ethical Decline
The concept of the biblical last days is increasingly pertinent in our world, where rampant corruption and ethical erosion echo the prophetic warnings found in passages such as 2 Timothy 3:1-5. These signs underscore the pressing need for upholding righteousness in the face of pervasive deception.
Signs of the Last Days
- Matthew 24:24: “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”
- Mark 13:7: “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.”
- Matthew 24:7: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”
- Matthew 24:12: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
Examples of Corruption Today
- Political Corruption: Evident in leaders exploiting their positions for personal gain, as seen in embezzlement scandals and bribery cases.
- Corporate Unethics: Corporations prioritizing profits over ethical responsibility, leading to environmental degradation and worker exploitation.
- Persecution of Faith: Reports of believers facing oppression and discrimination in countries where religious freedom is limited.
- Erosion of Morality: The increasing disregard for moral principles, witnessed in the rise of cybercrime and online scams.
- Spiritual Apostasy: The decline in faith and the rise of secularism as individuals distance themselves from religious beliefs.
Finding a Path of Righteousness
Adhering to righteousness remains crucial. Upholding honesty, fairness, and compassion is pivotal in a world marred by deceit. Caring for the marginalized, advocating for justice, and stewarding the environment are essential components of righteous living.
Biblical Verses Illuminating the Current Landscape
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5: This passage prophetically characterizes individuals in the last days as self-centered, loveless, and deceitful.
- Micah 7:3: A depiction of a society marked by treachery and dishonesty among its members.
- Isaiah 59:14: This verse addresses the reality of sin’s impact and the necessity of redemption.
Conclusion: Navigating Turmoil with Faith
The biblical last days resonate strongly with the contemporary context of corruption and ethical decline. This convergence calls for a steadfast commitment to righteousness, coupled with an unwavering trust in God’s redemptive plan. Amidst the challenges, we can find solace in the assurance that God’s triumph over evil is certain, inspiring us to champion truth and justice in these turbulent times.
Deception in Mass Media: Navigating the Age of Manipulation
The modern landscape is saturated with information, accessible at the swipe of a screen. However, amidst the seemingly boundless access to knowledge, a pressing concern emerges—the deceptive tactics of mass and social media. Scriptural warnings, as encapsulated in 2 Timothy 3:13 and Ephesians 4:14, resonate profoundly in an era where manipulation distorts truth, necessitating a renewed focus on spiritual discernment.
Biblical Warnings on Deception
The Bible’s prophetic insights have often revealed the pitfalls of deception that would emerge in the last days. In 2 Timothy 3:13, the Apostle Paul warns that evil people and impostors will grow worse, deceiving and being deceived. Similarly, Ephesians 4:14 highlights the vulnerability of those who lack spiritual maturity, easily swayed by every wind of doctrine and cunning deceit.
Manipulation and Misinformation
Deception in mass media is a multifaceted challenge. Manipulation, misinformation, and distorted narratives have become pervasive, compelling individuals to sift through a labyrinth of half-truths and biased perspectives. In an era where information is readily consumed, discerning the authentic from the fabricated is more crucial than ever.
The Research of Robert Epstein, Ph.D.
Dr. Robert Epstein, a Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, has extensively explored the impact of digital manipulation on decision-making and behavior. His research delves into how search engines, algorithms, and social media platforms influence and sometimes manipulate user perceptions and choices.
Epstein’s studies have revealed the potential for search engine manipulation to impact elections and sway public opinion. His research underscores the urgency of addressing digital manipulation to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes.
Mass Formation Psychosis
The concept of mass formation psychosis adds another layer to the discussion. This phenomenon, as coined by Dr. Matthias Desmet, describes a state where a large portion of society becomes susceptible to manipulation due to shared emotional experiences. This psychological state can lead individuals to accept narratives without critical scrutiny, further exacerbating the impact of deceptive media practices.
Spiritual Discernment as a Shield
In the face of the information deluge, spiritual discernment emerges as a vital shield against deception. Rooted in biblical wisdom and guided by the Holy Spirit, discernment empowers individuals to distinguish truth from falsehood. It equips believers to navigate the tumultuous sea of information, recognizing the subtle nuances of manipulation and misinformation.
Counteracting Deception
Counteracting deception demands proactive efforts. Individuals must cultivate media literacy skills to critically evaluate sources and claims. Cross-referencing information, seeking diverse perspectives, and discerning the intentions behind content are essential steps in combating manipulation.
Biblical Wisdom in the Digital Age
The Bible’s teachings resonate through the ages, offering guidance even in the digital era. Proverbs 18:15 reminds us that the prudent acquire knowledge, indicating the importance of seeking wisdom. Similarly, Proverbs 15:14 highlights the wisdom seeker’s hunger for understanding, contrasting with the folly of the naive.
Conclusion
As 2 Timothy 3:13 and Ephesians 4:14 foretold, deceptive tactics in mass and social media are a reality that must be navigated with caution. Dr. Robert Epstein’s research sheds light on the manipulation that pervades digital spaces. Recognizing the phenomenon of mass formation psychosis further underscores the need for vigilance.
In the midst of the media maelstrom, spiritual discernment serves as an anchor, enabling believers to navigate the waves of deception. Equipped with critical thinking, media literacy, and biblical wisdom, individuals can withstand the onslaught of misinformation and manipulation, emerging as informed and discerning citizens of the digital age.
The Increase in Natural Disasters and the End Times
The Bible predicts a time of great natural disasters in the end times. This is often referred to as the “birth pains” of the Messiah (Matthew 24:8). In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. This has led some people to believe that we are living in the end times.
There are many different factors that contribute to natural disasters. These include climate change, deforestation, and overpopulation. Climate change is one of the most significant factors. As the Earth’s climate changes, we can expect to see more extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Deforestation also contributes to natural disasters. When trees are cut down, the soil is less able to absorb water. This can lead to flooding and mudslides. Overpopulation also contributes to natural disasters. When there are too many people living in an area, it is more difficult to manage resources and respond to disasters.
The Bible describes the end times as a time of great tribulation. This tribulation will include natural disasters, such as earthquakes, famines, and pestilences (Matthew 24:21). The Bible also says that these disasters will be “birth pains” that will precede the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:8).
Some people believe that the increase in natural disasters is a sign that we are living in the end times. They point to the fact that the frequency and severity of natural disasters have been increasing in recent years. They also point to the fact that many of these disasters have been occurring in areas that are densely populated.
Others believe that the increase in natural disasters is simply a result of climate change and other factors. They argue that there is no evidence to suggest that we are living in the end times.
It is impossible to say for sure whether or not the increase in natural disasters is a sign of the end times. However, it is clear that these disasters are having a devastating impact on people around the world. We need to do everything we can to mitigate the effects of climate change and other factors that contribute to natural disasters. We also need to be prepared for the possibility that these disasters will become more frequent and severe in the future.
Conclusion
The increase in natural disasters is a cause for concern, but it is not a reason to despair. We can do our part to mitigate the effects of climate change and other factors that contribute to natural disasters. We can also be prepared for the possibility that these disasters will become more frequent and severe in the future. We know that Jesus Christ will return one day, and we can trust that he will bring peace and justice to the world.
In addition to the Bible verses mentioned above, there are other passages that speak of natural disasters in the end times. For example, Revelation 6:12-17 describes a series of seven trumpet judgments that will befall the earth. These judgments include hail, fire, and blood raining down from the sky, as well as earthquakes and tsunamis.
It is important to note that the Bible does not give a specific timeline for the end times. It simply says that they will happen “soon” (Revelation 22:20). This means that we should be prepared for the possibility that the end times could happen at any time.
We should not be afraid of the end times. We should instead focus on living our lives in a way that pleases God. We should also be prepared to share the gospel with others, so that they can be saved from the coming judgment.
The Rise of Technology and the End Times
The Bible predicts a time of great technological advancement in the end times. This is often referred to as the “mark of the beast” (Revelation 13:16-17). In recent years, we have seen a rapid advancement in technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), surveillance, and communication. This has led some people to believe that we are living in the end times.
AI is a rapidly developing technology that has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. AI can be used to automate tasks, make predictions, and even create art. However, there are also concerns about the potential dangers of AI. Some people worry that AI could become so powerful that it could pose a threat to humanity.
Surveillance is another technology that is rapidly developing. Surveillance cameras are now ubiquitous, and they are being used to monitor our every move. This raises concerns about our privacy and our freedom.
Communication technology is also advancing rapidly. We now have the ability to communicate with people all over the world in real time. This has made it easier for people to connect with each other, but it has also made it easier for people to spread misinformation and propaganda.
The Bible describes the end times as a time of great deception and tribulation. This deception will be facilitated by technology. The Bible says that the “mark of the beast” will be a technological device that will be used to control people. This device will be used to track people’s movements, their purchases, and their thoughts.
Some people believe that the rapid advancement of technology is a sign that we are living in the end times. They point to the fact that the Bible predicted that there would be great technological advancement in the end times. They also point to the fact that many of the technologies that are being developed today, such as AI and surveillance, could be used to control people.
Others believe that the rapid advancement of technology is simply a natural progression of human development. They argue that there is no evidence to suggest that we are living in the end times.
It is impossible to say for sure whether or not the rapid advancement of technology is a sign of the end times. However, it is clear that technology is playing an increasingly important role in our lives. We need to be aware of the potential dangers of technology and we need to use it wisely.
The Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is a book of the Bible that describes the end times. It is a highly symbolic book, and it is difficult to interpret. However, there are some passages in Revelation that seem to be about technology.
For example, Revelation 13:16-17 describes a “mark” that will be given to people. This mark is said to be “on the right hand or the forehead” and it will be required for people to buy or sell. Some people believe that this mark is a technological device that will be used to control people.
Another passage in Revelation that seems to be about technology is Revelation 18:23. This passage describes a city that is destroyed by fire. The city is said to be “a great city,” and it is said to be “a center of commerce.” Some people believe that this city is a symbol of the modern world, and that its destruction is a warning about the dangers of technology.
Conclusion
The rise of technology is a complex issue with no easy answers. There are both potential dangers and potential benefits to technology. It is up to us to use technology wisely and to be aware of its potential dangers.
If you are concerned about the end times, there are a few things you can do. First, you can study the Bible and learn more about what it says about the end times. Second, you can pray for God’s protection and guidance. Third, you can share the gospel with others so that they can be saved.
We do not know when the end times will come, but we can be sure that Jesus Christ will return one day. When he returns, he will bring peace and justice to the world. We can trust in him and look forward to his return.
The Rise of Globalism and the Push for a One-World Government
The term “globalism” refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world. This interconnectedness is due to a number of factors, including globalization of trade, the rise of multinational corporations, and the development of new technologies.
The rise of globalism has led to a growing calls for a one-world government. This is a government that would be responsible for governing all of the world’s nations. There are a number of reasons why people support the idea of a one-world government.
One reason is that they believe that it would be more effective in addressing global problems, such as climate change and poverty. Another reason is that they believe that it would help to prevent war.
However, there are also a number of concerns about the idea of a one-world government. Some people worry that it would be too centralized and would not be accountable to the people. Others worry that it would lead to a loss of national sovereignty.
The Bible contains a number of passages that seem to warn about the dangers of a one-world government. For example, Revelation 13:7 says that the Antichrist will “exercise all the authority of the first beast on behalf of him.” This suggests that the Antichrist will be a puppet of the first beast, which is often interpreted as a reference to a one-world government.
Daniel 7:23 also speaks of a one-world government, calling it “the fourth beast,” which is described as “terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong.” This beast is said to “devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.”
These passages suggest that the Bible warns against the dangers of a one-world government. However, it is important to note that the Bible does not give a specific timeline for the rise of a one-world government. It simply says that it will happen “in the end times.”
The rise of globalism and the push for a one-world government are certainly concerning. However, it is important to remember that the Bible also teaches that Jesus Christ will return one day and establish his kingdom on earth. This kingdom will be a perfect and just government, and it will bring peace and prosperity to the world.
The World Economic Forum (WEF)
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organization that brings together business leaders, government officials, and other elites to discuss global issues. The WEF has been a vocal advocate for a one-world government.
In 2020, the WEF published a report called “The Great Reset,” which called for a “fundamental transformation” of the global economy. The report included a number of proposals for creating a one-world government, including a global carbon tax, a global digital currency, and a global pandemic response system.
The WEF’s push for a one-world government has been met with mixed reactions. Some people support the idea, while others are concerned about the potential dangers.
Those who support the WEF’s proposals argue that they are necessary to address global problems, such as climate change and poverty. They also argue that a one-world government would be more efficient and effective than the current system of nation-states.
Those who are concerned about the WEF’s proposals argue that they would lead to a loss of national sovereignty and individual freedom. They also argue that a one-world government would be vulnerable to corruption and abuse of power.
The future of the WEF’s push for a one-world government is uncertain. However, it is clear that the issue is gaining traction among global elites. It remains to be seen whether the WEF will be able to achieve its goal of creating a one-world government.
Conclusion
The rise of globalism and the push for a one-world government are complex issues with no easy answers. There are both potential dangers and potential benefits to these trends. It is up to each individual to decide what they believe about these issues.
If you are concerned about the rise of a one-world government, there are a few things you can do. First, you can study the Bible and learn more about what it says about the end times. Second, you can pray for God’s protection and guidance. Third, you can share the gospel with others so that they can be saved.
We do not know when the end times will come, but we can be sure that Jesus Christ will return one day. When he returns, he will bring peace and justice to the world. We can trust in him and look forward to his return.
Moral Decay in Our World Today
There is a growing concern that our world is in a state of moral decay. This concern is fueled by the widespread societal shifts away from traditional values. Some people believe that this moral decay is a sign of the end times.
There are many different factors that have contributed to the perceived moral decay in our world today. These factors include:
- The rise of secularism and the decline of religious faith.
- The increasing availability of pornography and other forms of sexual content.
- The breakdown of the family unit.
- The glorification of violence and materialism in the media.
- The decline of civility and respect for others.
These factors have led to an increase in a variety of immoral behaviors, such as:
- Sexual promiscuity
- Pornography addiction
- Abortion
- Drug abuse
- Violence
- Crime
- Greed
- Materialism
The Bible has a lot to say about moral decay. In Romans 1:22-27, it is said that people who have rejected God will become increasingly depraved and immoral. The passage says that they will “exchange the truth about God for a lie and worship and serve created things rather than the Creator.”
In Exodus 20:13-17, God gives the Ten Commandments, which outline the basic moral principles that he expects his people to follow. These commandments include prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting.
In Isaiah 5:20-23, God condemns the people of Israel for their moral corruption. He says that they are “full of injustice, the city is full of violence.”
The Bible’s warnings about moral decay are a reminder that God takes sin seriously. He expects his people to live according to his moral standards. When people reject God and his standards, they open themselves up to a variety of negative consequences.
The perceived moral decay in our world today is a cause for concern. However, it is important to remember that God is still in control. He will ultimately judge the world for its sinfulness. In the meantime, we can do our part to promote moral purity and to live according to God’s standards.
Is the Moral Decay a Sign of the End Times?
Some people believe that the moral decay in our world today is a sign of the end times. They point to passages in the Bible that seem to predict a time of great moral decline before the return of Jesus Christ.
For example, in Matthew 24:12, Jesus says that “the love of many will grow cold” in the end times. This could be interpreted as a reference to the decline of religious faith and the rise of secularism.
In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul describes a time when people will be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” This could be interpreted as a reference to the increasing focus on materialism and self-gratification in our society.
It is important to note that the Bible does not explicitly say that moral decay is a sign of the end times. However, the Bible does warn us about the dangers of sin and the importance of living a moral life.
Ultimately, only God knows when the end times will come. However, we can do our part to prepare for the end times by living according to God’s standards and by sharing the gospel with others.
What Can We Do About Moral Decay?
There are a few things that we can do to address moral decay in our world today. These include:
- Living a moral life ourselves. We can set an example for others by living a moral life that is consistent with God’s standards.
- Teaching our children about moral principles. We can teach our children about the importance of moral purity and about the consequences of sin.
- Speaking out against immorality. We can speak out against immorality and injustice when we see it.
- Voting for moral leaders. We can vote for leaders who will uphold moral standards.
- Supporting organizations that promote moral purity. We can support organizations that are working to promote moral purity in our society.
Moral decay is a serious problem, but it is not insurmountable. By working together, we can make a difference and help to create a more moral world.
The Reestablishment of Israel and the City of Jerusalem
The reestablishment of Israel in 1948 is a significant event in world history. It is also a significant event in biblical prophecy.
The Bible predicts that Israel will be reestablished as a nation in the end times.
This prophecy is fulfilled in:
Ezekiel 37:21-22, where it is said that God will “gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered and bring them back to their own land.”
The Bible also predicts that the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt in the end times.
This prophecy is fulfilled in:
Zechariah 12:2-3, where it is said that “Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies, but they will not be able to conquer it.”
The reestablishment of Israel and the city of Jerusalem are seen as a sign of the approaching return of Jesus Christ. This is because Jesus himself predicted that these events would happen before his return (Matthew 24:29-31).
There are many other prophecies in the Bible that seem to be fulfilled in the events surrounding the reestablishment of Israel. For example, the Bible predicts that there will be a great “gathering of the nations” (Isaiah 2:2-4). This prophecy seems to be fulfilled in the United Nations vote to partition Palestine in 1947, which led to the establishment of Israel.
Ezekiel 36:24: “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.”
This verse from the book of Ezekiel speaks of God’s promise to gather the people of Israel from the nations and bring them back to their own land. This is a prophecy fulfilled through the establishment of Israel in 1948.
Isaiah 66:8: “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”
This verse alludes to the miraculous nature of Israel’s restoration, likening it to the birth of a nation in a single day. The establishment of Israel in 1948 is often seen as a fulfillment of this prophecy.
Amos 9:14-15: “I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.”
There will be a great “war of Gog and Magog” (Ezekiel 38-39). This prophecy seems to be fulfilled in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, which was fought by a coalition of Arab nations against Israel but may be referring to the end times when all nations will come against Israel.
In these verses, God promises to bring back the people of Israel from exile, allowing them to rebuild their cities and live in their land permanently. Once again this is a prophecy fulfilled through the establishment of Israel and its continued existence since 1948.
Isaiah 11:11-12: “In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.”
This passage from Isaiah speaks of God gathering the exiles of Israel and assembling the scattered people of Judah from various regions. This has been fulfilled through the return of Jewish people from different parts of the world to establish the modern state of Israel.
Jeremiah 31:10: “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.'”
This verse suggests that God, who scattered Israel, will gather them again.
Ezekiel 37:21-22: “And say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.'”
This passage speaks of God gathering the Israelites from the nations and making them one nation in their own land. The establishment of Israel in 1948 is seen as a partial fulfillment of this prophecy, as Jewish people from various nations have immigrated to Israel.
The reestablishment of Israel and the city of Jerusalem are significant events in world history and in biblical prophecy. They are seen by many as a sign of the approaching return of Jesus Christ.
The Significance of Israel’s Rebirth
The rebirth of Israel is significant for a number of reasons.
First, it is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The Bible predicts that Israel will be reestablished as a nation in the end times. This prophecy is fulfilled in Ezekiel 37:21-22, where it is said that God will “gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered and bring them back to their own land.”
Second, the rebirth of Israel is a sign of God’s faithfulness to his people. The Bible says that God will never forget his people, and that he will always be with them (Isaiah 49:15). The rebirth of Israel is a reminder of God’s faithfulness to his people.
Third, the rebirth of Israel is a sign of hope for the world. The Bible says that God will use Israel to bring peace and justice to the world (Isaiah 2:4). The rebirth of Israel is a sign that God is working to bring about his kingdom on earth.
The Future of Israel
Bible gives us some clues about what to expect.
The Bible predicts that Israel will experience a time of great prosperity in the end times (Isaiah 60:1-5). It also predicts that Israel will be a place of peace and justice (Isaiah 2:4).
However, the Bible also predicts that Israel will experience a time of great suffering in the end times (Zechariah 12:1-3). This suffering will be caused by the nations that will attack Israel. God will set a hook and bring them down to cover Israel (Ezekiel 38-39).
Ultimately, the Bible predicts that Israel will be saved by God (Zechariah 12:10). God will defeat the nations that attack Israel, and he will establish his kingdom on earth (Revelation 20:4-6).
Bible gives us hope for the future of Israel. God is faithful to his people, and he will never forget them. He will use Israel to bring peace and justice to the world, and he will ultimately establish his kingdom on earth.
TribulationThe Great
The Great Tribulation is a period of great suffering and persecution that will come upon the world before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is described in detail in the Book of Revelation.
The Great Tribulation will be a time of great distress for the world. There will be wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. There will also be great persecution of Christians.
The Bible says that the Great Tribulation will be a time of “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). This means that it will be a time of great suffering for the people of Israel.
The Great Tribulation will also be a time of great testing for Christians. They will be called upon to stand strong in their faith and to remain faithful to Jesus Christ.
The Bible says that the Great Tribulation will last for “42 months” (Revelation 11:2). This is equivalent to 3 1/2 years.
The Great Tribulation will end with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. When Jesus returns, he will defeat the Antichrist and establish his kingdom on earth.
The Signs of the Times
The Bible says that there will be certain signs that will indicate the coming of the Great Tribulation.
These signs include:
The rise of the Antichrist
The wars and rumors of wars
The great earthquake
The famines and pestilences
The persecution of Christians
The falling away of many Christians
The increase of lawlessness
The love of many growing cold
Christians should be watchful of these signs. They should not be afraid, but they should be prepared for what is to come.
What Christians Should Do? There are a few things that Christians can do to prepare for the Great Tribulation.
These things include:
Study the Bible and learn about the end times.
Pray for strength and guidance.
Stay close to God and his people.
Be a witness to others about Jesus Christ.
Be prepared to suffer for your faith.
The Great Tribulation is a time of great suffering and persecution. However, it is also a time of great hope for Christians. They know that God is with them and that he will protect them. They also know that the Great Tribulation will not last forever. It will end with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and then there will be peace and joy for all eternity.
Christians should be watchful of the signs of the times. They should not be afraid, but they should be prepared for what is to come. They should study the Bible, pray for strength and guidance, stay close to God and his people, be a witness to others about Jesus Christ, and be prepared to suffer for their faith.
Christians can find comfort in knowing that God is in control. He knows what is happening in the world, and he has a plan. He will not abandon his people, and he will bring them through the Great Tribulation.
Christians should not be afraid of the Great Tribulation. They should know that God is with them and that he will protect them. They should also know that the Great Tribulation will not last forever. It will end with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and then there will be peace and joy for all eternity.
Here are the Bible verses for the signs of the Great Tribulation:
The rise of the Antichrist:
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
1 John 2:18: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”
The wars and rumors of wars:
Matthew 24:6: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all this must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Mark 13:7: “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for this must happen, but the end is not yet.”
The great earthquakes:
Revelation 16:18: “And there were great earthquakes, such as had not occurred since men were on the earth, so great an earthquake was there, and so mighty.”
The famines and pestilences:
Matthew 24:7: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places.”
Revelation 6:8: “And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.”
The persecution of Christians:
Matthew 24:9: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”
Luke 21:12: “But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.”
The falling away of many Christians:
2 Thessalonians 2:3: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”
The increase of lawlessness:
Matthew 24:12: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
The love of many growing cold:
Matthew 24:12: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
It is important to note that these are just some of the signs that the Bible mentions. There may be other signs that we do not know about. It is also important to remember that the Bible does not say that these signs will happen in a specific order. They could happen all at once, or they could happen over a period of time.
The best thing that Christians can do is to be watchful and to be prepared. They should study the Bible, pray for strength and guidance, stay close to God and his people, be a witness to others about Jesus Christ, and be prepared to suffer for their faith.
Summary of Daniel Chapters 2, 7, and 8:
Empires and the End Times
The biblical book of Daniel contains prophetic visions that reveal the rise and fall of significant empires and their relevance to the End Times or the end of the age. Chapters 2, 7, and 8 provide a comprehensive view of these empires, incorporating Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2:
**Chapter 2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and the Image**
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a colossal image made of various metals, symbolizing different empires:
1. **The Head of Gold**: The head of the image represents the Babylonian Empire, with King Nebuchadnezzar as its pinnacle of power and wealth.
2. **The Chest and Arms of Silver**: The chest and arms of silver symbolize the Medo-Persian Empire, the next dominant world power.
3. **The Belly and Thighs of Bronze**: These parts of the image represent the Greek Empire, known for its rapid expansion under Alexander the Great.
4. **The Legs of Iron**: The legs of iron signify the might of the Roman Empire, which had a long-lasting influence on the world.
5. **The Feet of Iron and Clay**: The feet of the image, made of iron mixed with clay, allude to a divided or weakened state within the remnants of the Roman Empire. This state is often connected to the End Times, symbolizing instability and fragility.
In Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, he emphasizes God’s sovereignty over the course of history, demonstrating that He sets up and brings down empires according to His divine plan.
**Chapter 7: Vision of Four Beasts**
Daniel 7 expands upon Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by providing a vision of four distinct beasts emerging from the sea:
1. **The Lion with Eagle’s Wings**: This lion represents the Babylonian Empire, symbolizing its majestic rule and power.
2. **The Bear Raised on One Side**: The bear, with one side raised higher than the other, signifies the Medo-Persian Empire’s dominance, with the Persian aspect prevailing.
3. **The Leopard with Four Heads and Four Wings**: The leopard with four heads and four wings represents the rapid conquests of the Greek Empire, under Alexander the Great and his successors.
4. **The Terrifying Beast with Ten Horns**: The final beast, dreadful and equipped with ten horns, signifies the Roman Empire. Among these horns, a smaller horn emerges, often associated with the Antichrist in end-times interpretations.
Daniel’s vision also includes the image of the Ancient of Days and the “Son of Man,” symbolizing God’s ultimate victory and the establishment of His everlasting kingdom.
**Chapter 8: Vision of the Ram and the Goat**
In Daniel 8, a vision involves two significant animals:
1. **The Ram with Two Horns**: The ram with two horns represents the Medo-Persian Empire, signifying the combination of Median and Persian elements.
2. **The Goat with a Single Horn**: The swift and powerful goat with a single large horn symbolizes the Greek Empire, particularly under Alexander the Great.
The large horn on the goat is broken, leading to the emergence of four smaller horns. One of these smaller horns grows into the “little horn,” often associated with a wicked ruler opposing God’s people, akin to the Antichrist in end-times prophecy.
**Significance of the Roman Empire in End Times**
The Roman Empire holds a crucial role in the context of the End Times, as depicted in Daniel’s prophecies. While Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s visions focus on the rise and fall of empires up to the Greek Empire, the subsequent Roman Empire becomes significant.
In biblical eschatology, the legs of iron in Nebuchadnezzar’s image represent the strength and endurance of the Roman Empire. Additionally, the ten toes of iron mixed with clay are often associated with a future alliance or confederation of nations, often linked to the end-times events.
Furthermore, the “little horn” emerging from the ten horns of the fourth beast in Daniel 7 is often connected to the Antichrist, a figure expected to appear in the End Times. Some interpretations suggest that the Roman Empire, or a revived Roman-like empire, will have a role to play in the end of the age.
In summary, Daniel chapters 2, 7, and 8 collectively provide prophetic visions that reveal the significance of various empires in the course of history, as well as their relevance to the End Times. The Roman Empire, in particular, plays a vital role in end-times prophecy, with connections to the Antichrist and future geopolitical developments. These chapters offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the unfolding of history according to God’s divine plan.
The book of Daniel contains several prophecies, and while some interpretations may vary, here are some of the key prophecies from the book of Daniel that are commonly considered to have been fulfilled:
1. **The Dream of the Statue (Daniel 2):** King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue, with its head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay, is often interpreted as representing the succession of world empires. These empires are traditionally understood as Babylon (head of gold), Medo-Persia (chest and arms of silver), Greece (belly and thighs of bronze), and Rome (legs of iron).
– Fulfilled: The Babylonian Empire fell to the Medo-Persian Empire in 539 BC, which, in turn, was conquered by Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire. The Roman Empire followed, aligning with the legs of iron.
2. **The Prophecy of the 70 Weeks (Daniel 9):** Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks outlines a period of 490 years, traditionally interpreted as related to the arrival of the Messiah.
– Fulfilled: While there is debate about specific interpretations, many believe that the 70 weeks culminated with the ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His arrival and the establishment of the New Covenant are seen as the fulfillment of this prophecy.
3. **The Fall of Babylon (Daniel 5):** Daniel interpreted the mysterious writing on the wall during King Belshazzar’s feast, foretelling the fall of the Babylonian Empire.
– Fulfilled: In 539 BC, the Medo-Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, conquered Babylon, as recorded in the historical accounts of the time.
4. **The Vision of the Ram and the Goat (Daniel 8):** This vision depicts the rise and fall of the Medo-Persian and Greek Empires.
– Fulfilled: The Medo-Persian Empire was later conquered by Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire. This succession of empires corresponds with the vision in Daniel 8.
5. **The Prophecy of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Daniel 11):** Daniel’s prophecy includes a detailed account of the actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid king who persecuted the Jewish people.
– Fulfilled: The historical accounts of Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ persecution of the Jews and his desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem align with the prophecies in Daniel 11.
It’s important to note that interpretations of these prophecies may vary among scholars and religious traditions. While these are some commonly accepted fulfillments, there may be differences in interpretation regarding specific details and timelines. Additionally, some believe that certain prophecies in Daniel may have dual or future fulfillments, which can lead to varying interpretations.
Daniel 10, 11, and 12
Daniel provide a continuous narrative within the Book of Daniel and contain a wealth of prophetic and historical information. These chapters offer insight into future events, including the rise and fall of empires, the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and a glimpse into the end times.
Chapter 10: Daniel’s Vision of a Man
Chapter 10 begins with Daniel receiving a vision during the third year of King Cyrus of Persia. In this vision, a glorious being appears before him, describing a future conflict involving Persia and Greece, foreshadowing the events in Chapter 11.
Chapter 11: Detailed Prophecies of Empires and Antiochus IV
Chapter 11 is a remarkable prophecy that outlines the rise and fall of various empires, with an emphasis on the rivalry between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties, particularly during the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Seleucid and Ptolemaic Rivalry: The chapter describes the constant conflict between the “king of the North” (Seleucids) and the “king of the South” (Ptolemies) and their territorial disputes.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes: The prophecy zooms in on the actions of Antiochus IV, a Seleucid king who desecrated the Jewish Temple, sparking the Maccabean Revolt. His persecution of the Jewish people and his blasphemous acts are foretold.
Chapter 12: The Time of the End and the Resurrection
Chapter 12 concludes the Book of Daniel with a focus on what will unfold in the end times and the resurrection.
The Time of the End: Daniel is told that there will be a time of great distress, but those whose names are written in the book will be delivered. This distress refers to various historical persecutions and to a future end-time tribulation.
The Resurrection: Daniel is assured that the dead will be raised, some to eternal life and others to eternal contempt. This concept foreshadows the New Testament teachings on resurrection and final judgment.
Sealing and Sealing Broken: The chapter mentions that the words of the scroll will be sealed until the time of the end when knowledge will increase. This refers to the unveiling of these prophecies in the future.
Daniel chapters 10, 11, and 12 provide a detailed prophecy of historical events, focusing on the conflicts between empires, the actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and a glimpse into the end times, including the resurrection and final judgment. These chapters emphasize God’s sovereignty over human history and His ultimate plan for redemption and justice.
The Seven Seal Judgments in the
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, is known for its apocalyptic imagery and prophecies. One of its central elements is the unveiling of God’s divine plan for the world, including a series of judgments known as the “Seal Judgments.” These judgments are introduced in Revelation chapters 5 and 6 and unfold as the Lamb of God (Jesus) opens seven seals on a scroll.
The Seven Seal Judgments:
1. First Seal (Revelation 6:1-2 – The White Horse): The first seal reveals a rider on a white horse, often symbolizing conquest. This rider may represent the spread of false religious or political ideologies, signifying a period of global deception and conquest.
2. Second Seal (Revelation 6:3-4 – The Red Horse): The second seal reveals a rider on a red horse, symbolizing war and conflict. This seal unleashes violence and bloodshed on the earth, potentially representing regional and international conflicts.
3. Third Seal (Revelation 6:5-6 – The Black Horse): The third seal introduces a rider on a black horse, typically associated with scarcity and famine. This seal represents economic hardship, food shortages, and inflation, leading to suffering for many.
4. Fourth Seal (Revelation 6:7-8 – The Pale Horse): The fourth seal reveals a rider on a pale horse, known as Death, followed by Hades. This seal signifies widespread death through various means, including famine, pestilence, and other calamities.
5. Fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9-11 – The Martyrs): The fifth seal introduces the souls of martyrs who cry out for justice. These martyrs are those who have been persecuted and killed for their faith. God assures them of His ultimate vindication.
6. Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-17 – Cosmic Disturbances): The opening of the sixth seal is accompanied by cosmic disturbances, including earthquakes and celestial phenomena. People on earth react with fear and dread, recognizing the significance of these events.
7. Seventh Seal (Revelation 8:1-5 – Prelude to the Trumpet Judgments): The seventh seal introduces a period of silence in heaven, signifying a brief pause before the trumpet judgments begin. It also includes the prayers of the saints, which are offered up to God.
Interpretations and Significance:
The interpretations of the Seal Judgments we see as predictive of specific future events, particularly in the context of the End Times.
The Seal Judgments are significant because they set the stage for the subsequent judgments in Revelation, including the Trumpet and Bowl judgments. They demonstrate God’s sovereignty over creation and His response to human sin and rebellion. These judgments also underscore the importance of faith and perseverance for believers, as seen in the souls of the martyrs under the fifth seal.
Ultimately, the Seal Judgments serve as a reminder of God’s justice, mercy, and ultimate plan for the redemption of His people and the restoration of His creation, as revealed in the later chapters of Revelation.
The Bowls of Wrath (Revelation 16):
In Revelation 15, John sees a vision of seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last and most severe judgments of God’s wrath. These judgments are poured out from seven bowls.
Revelation 16:
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and a harmful and painful sore afflicted the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, the One who is and who was, O Holy One, because You judged these things; 6 for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” 7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
8 And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 And the people were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.
Seventh Bowl (Revelation 16:17-21): A great earthquake occurs, accompanied by unprecedented natural disasters, including hailstones weighing about a hundred pounds, falling upon the people.
Following the pouring of the seventh bowl of wrath, John describes the complete destruction of Babylon the Great, the world’s corrupt and evil systems. Babylon’s fall marks the ultimate judgment on human wickedness.
The Seven Trumpet Judgments in Revelation: A Detailed Explanation
The Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, unfolds a prophetic narrative of future events and judgments. The seven trumpet judgments, introduced in Revelation chapters 8 and 9, are a significant component of this apocalyptic vision. Each trumpet blown by angels initiates a specific judgment upon the world, revealing God’s sovereignty, justice, and His unfolding plan for humanity.
1. First Trumpet – Hail and Fire (Revelation 8:7):
The first trumpet unleashes hail and fire mixed with blood upon the earth, initializing devastation and ruin. This imagery serves as a stark reminder of God’s judgment upon a sinful world. The hail and fire depict disasters and divine wrath, signaling the devastating events that follow.
2. Second Trumpet – The Burning Mountain (Revelation 8:8-9):
“The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.” This represents a significant upheaval and catastrophe, leading to loss of life and desolation.
3. Third Trumpet – The Falling Star (Revelation 8:10-11):
“And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters; 11 and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” The bitterness of the waters signifies the consequences of rebellion against God, highlighting the importance of spiritual discernment.
4. Fourth Trumpet – The Darkened Sky (Revelation 8:12):
“And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner. 13. And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound. It serves as a powerful truth of God’s authority over creation and acts as a warning of forthcoming judgments.
5. Fifth Trumpet – The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit (Revelation 9:1-12):
The fifth trumpet reveals a star falling from heaven, unlocking the abyss and releasing locust-like creatures. These creatures are allowed to torment those without God’s seal, representing the representation of the torment experienced by those who reject God. The imagery underscores the spiritual torment and horible distress faced by unbelievers.
6. Sixth Trumpet – The Four Angels and the Euphrates (Revelation 9:13-21):
The sixth trumpet is a devastating judgment involving four angels bound at the Euphrates, leading a massive army of 200 million. The imagery portrays the unleashing of destructive forces, resulting in widespread death and destruction. This trumpet emphasizes the severe consequences of humanity’s rebellion and refusal to repent. Verse 20 says, “And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk: 21. and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
7. Seventh Trumpet – The Kingdom Proclaimed (Revelation 11:15-19):
The seventh trumpet marks a pivotal moment, proclaiming the arrival of God’s eternal kingdom and the ultimate victory of Christ. This proclamation leads to worship and praise in heaven, and it offers glimpses into the final judgment and the rewarding of God’s faithful servants. It symbolizes the culmination of God’s divine plan and His reign over all creation.
The seven trumpet judgments in Revelation display divine warnings and interventions, illustrating God’s sovereignty over the world and His righteous judgment upon sin. They serve as a call to repentance, a reminder of the consequences of rebellion, and a proclamation of God’s ultimate victory and establishment of His eternal kingdom. These trumpet judgments are a crucial part of the apocalyptic vision, emphasizing the need for faithfulness and spiritual discernment in the face of impending eschatological events.
Summary of the Book of Revelation
Chapters 4 – 22
Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, is a profound and symbolic account of visions received by the apostle John. It is a revelation of the divine plan, the triumph of good over evil, and the return of Jesus Christ. The summary below begins with Chapter 4, where the vision takes a significant turn.
**Chapter 4 – The Throne Room of Heaven:**
John is taken up to heaven, where he sees a vision of God’s majestic throne surrounded by heavenly beings. The worship and praise of God affirm His sovereignty and power over all creation.
**Chapter 5 – The Scroll and the Lamb:**
A scroll with seven seals, representing God’s plan for the world’s redemption and judgment, is presented. Only the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is found worthy to open the seals, setting in motion God’s unfolding plan.
**Chapter 6 – The Seven Seals:**
As the Lamb opens each seal, various judgments are unleashed upon the earth. These include war, famine, death, and other calamities, portraying a period of tribulation.
**Chapter 7 – The 144,000 and the Multitude:**
God’s servants, symbolized by 144,000 sealed from the twelve tribes of Israel, are protected. A great multitude from every nation is also seen, signifying salvation through faith in Christ.
**Chapter 8 – The Seventh Seal and the Trumpets:**
The opening of the seventh seal introduces seven angels with trumpets, each heralding significant judgments on the earth, demonstrating God’s wrath.
**Chapter 9 – The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets:**
The fifth and sixth trumpets bring forth demonic locusts and an army, representing spiritual torment and destruction. These events intensify the suffering during this time.
**Chapter 10 – The Angel and the Little Scroll:**
An angel with a little scroll symbolizes the prophetic message of judgment and restoration, depicting the bitter-sweet nature of God’s Word.
**Chapter 11 – The Two Witnesses:**
Two witnesses proclaim God’s message amidst persecution. They are eventually killed but resurrected, symbolizing victory over evil.
**Chapter 12 – The Woman and the Dragon:**
A woman symbolizing God’s people, and a dragon representing evil, engage in a spiritual battle. God’s victory and the protection of the woman’s offspring are assured.
**Chapter 13 – The Beast from the Sea and the Earth:**
Two beasts, one from the sea and one from the earth, symbolize oppressive political and religious systems that oppose God’s people.
**Chapter 14 – The Lamb and the 144,000:**
The Lamb stands victorious with the redeemed 144,000, and three angels proclaim eternal truths, encouraging faithfulness during tribulation.
**Chapter 15 – The Seven Angels with Plagues:**
Seven angels with plagues emerge, symbolizing the final wrath of God poured upon the earth.
**Chapter 16 – The Bowls of God’s Wrath:**
The angels pour out seven bowls of God’s wrath, resulting in severe plagues, illustrating the consequences of rebellion against God.
**Chapter 17 – The Prostitute and the Beast:**
A vision of a prostitute riding a scarlet beast reveals spiritual adultery and the evil alliance between worldly powers and false religion.
**Chapter 18 – The Fall of Babylon:**
Babylon, a symbol of corrupt human civilization and false systems, falls, signifying its judgment and ultimate destruction.
**Chapter 19 – The Marriage Supper and the Second Coming:**
A great multitude rejoices as Christ, the conquering King, returns to judge and establish His kingdom, culminating in the marriage supper of the Lamb.
**Chapter 20 – The Millennium and the Final Judgment:**
Satan is bound, and believers reign with Christ during the millennium. After Satan’s release and final defeat, all the dead face judgment based on their deeds.
**Chapter 21 – The New Heaven and Earth:**
A vision of the new heaven and earth, free from sorrow and sin, is revealed, and God promises to dwell with His people in eternal harmony.
**Chapter 22 – The River of Life and Final Words:**
A river of life flows from God’s throne, and Jesus promises His return. The book concludes with an invitation to embrace salvation and a warning against altering its prophecies.
The Book of Revelation provides hope, assurance of victory, and a reminder of the importance of faith and perseverance amid trials. It ultimately portrays God’s plan for the redemption of humanity and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.
In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, the focus is on the concept of Antichrist, a malevolent figure foretold in biblical prophecy. This chapter describes Antichrist as the ultimate embodiment of those who oppose God and Jesus Christ. He is portrayed as the epitome of Satanic deception, false prophecy, and counterfeit religious leadership. Throughout the chapter, various titles are used to refer to this singular figure, including “the man of lawlessness,” “the son of destruction,” “the lawless one,” and “the coming one in accord with the activity of Satan.”
It is important to note that while Antichrist is a specific individual, there is also a broader “spirit of Antichrist” that exists in the world. This spirit represents those who, under the influence of Satan, seek to undermine and oppose the work of God and Christ. This spirit can be observed in anyone who denies the divinity of Jesus Christ or seeks to separate the Father and the Son.
The concept of Antichrist is not limited to 2 Thessalonians but is also mentioned in other New Testament writings, particularly in the letters of John. John emphasizes that while there is a singular Antichrist to come, there are also many “antichrists” who share the same spirit of opposition to Christ and God. These antichrists may deny Jesus as the Christ or reject the connection between the Father and the Son.
The chapter also highlights that the idea of Antichrist and the spirit of opposition to Christ has been present throughout history. Examples of such opposition include Satan’s attempts to corrupt humanity in Genesis, efforts to destroy the Messianic line in Israel, and various historical figures who opposed God’s plan. However, the final Antichrist, who is yet to come, is anticipated to be the most sinister and dangerous of all.
The purpose of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians in addressing the concept of Antichrist is to provide clarity and assurance to the church. The Thessalonian believers were facing persecution and confusion, and some had been misled into thinking that they had missed the rapture and were already in the Day of the Lord, a period of God’s final judgment. Paul reassures them that they have not missed the rapture and that they are not part of the Day of the Lord, which is meant for judgment. This chapter aims to correct their misunderstanding and bring clarity to their eschatological beliefs.
In summary, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 delves into the concept of Antichrist, a malevolent figure who represents the ultimate opposition to God and Christ. While Antichrist is a specific individual to come in the future, the spirit of Antichrist exists in those who oppose Christ and God. The chapter also addresses the confusion among the Thessalonian believers regarding the timing of the rapture and the Day of the Lord, providing reassurance and correction.
Mark of the Beast:
Understanding the Mark of the Beast: The Mark of the Beast is mentioned in the book of Revelation (Revelation 13:16-18). This signifies allegiance to the Antichrist and rejection of God. New Christians should study and understand the biblical passages regarding the Mark of the Beast to discern its significance and implications.
1. Revelation 13:16-18: “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”
2. Revelation 14:9-11: “A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.'”
These passages emphasize the implications of receiving the mark and the consequences for those who choose to worship the beast or pledge allegiance to it.
While the primary passages above directly address the consequences of receiving the Mark of the Beast are Revelation 13:16-18 and Revelation 14:9-11, there are a few other passages that indirectly touch upon the topic:
1. Revelation 16:2: “The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.”
This verse is part of the description of the pouring out of the bowls of God’s wrath in the book of Revelation. It indicates that those who have the mark and worship the beast will experience physical affliction in the form of painful sores.
2. Revelation 19:20: “But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs, he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
This passage refers to the ultimate fate of the beast and the false prophet, who lead people astray and deceive them into worshiping the beast and receiving its mark. It states that they will be thrown into the lake of fire.
These verses, along with the previously mentioned passages, highlight the severe consequences associated with receiving the Mark of the Beast. They underscore the importance of discernment and faithfulness to God, cautioning against aligning oneself with the beast or engaging in its worship.
If you are a redeemed Christian now, no need to worry, we are not in the times of the Tribulation yet. Once the world is catapuled into the Tribulation, put your trust in Jesus and DON’T TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST!
Miraculous Healings by Jesus:
Demonstrating Divine Power and Compassion
The Gospels are replete with accounts of Jesus’ miraculous healings, revealing his divine authority and boundless compassion. These acts of restoration and compassion not only alleviated physical suffering but also conveyed profound spiritual truths, leaving an indelible mark on those who witnessed them.
Cleansing a Leper (Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16): Jesus encountered a leper, a social outcast afflicted by a devastating disease. His touch and words, “Be clean,” demonstrated divine power and compassion. By healing this leper, Jesus affirmed his ability to cleanse not only physical ailments but also the soul.
Healing a Paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26): A paralyzed man was lowered through a roof by his friends to reach Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus forgave the man’s sins and healed his paralysis. This miracle attested to Jesus’ authority to forgive sins and demonstrated the profound link between physical and spiritual healing.
Healing Two Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-31): Two blind men sought Jesus’ mercy, addressing him as “Son of David.” Impressed by their faith, Jesus touched their eyes, restoring their sight. This healing illustrated that spiritual insight accompanies physical restoration when one approaches Jesus with faith.
Healing a Deaf-Mute (Mark 7:31-37): In a region near the Decapolis, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and unable to speak. He touched the man’s ears and tongue, immediately restoring his faculties. This miracle signified Jesus’ ability to heal and restore complete wholeness.
Healing a Blind Man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26): Jesus’ gradual healing of a blind man in Bethsaida demonstrated his unique approach to healing. By spitting on the man’s eyes and touching them, he restored the man’s sight. This healing underscored Jesus’ personal engagement and individualized approach.
Healing a Man with Dropsy (Luke 14:1-6): On the Sabbath, Jesus encountered a man with dropsy. Challenging religious legalism, he asked whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Upon receiving no response, he healed the man. This miracle highlighted the priority of compassion over rigid rules.
Cleansing Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19): Jesus encountered ten lepers who pleaded for mercy. He instructed them to show themselves to the priests, and as they went, they were healed. Only one returned to thank Jesus, illustrating the significance of gratitude and faith in the healing process.
Healing a Man with a Withered Hand (Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11): Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, challenging the religious leaders’ legalistic mindset.
Healing a Man Born Blind (John 9:1-12): Jesus healed a man who was born blind by anointing his eyes with mud and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.
Healing a Woman with a Hemorrhage (Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48): A woman with a bleeding disorder touched the edge of Jesus’ garment, and her faith made her well.
Healing the Daughter of a Syrophoenician Woman (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30): In another account involving a Gentile woman, Jesus healed her daughter from a distance due to her persistent faith.
Healing a Man with a Demon (Matthew 9:32-34; Luke 11:14-15): Jesus healed a man who was mute because of a demon, and the healing caused the crowd to marvel.
Healing a Man at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9): Jesus healed a man who had been an invalid for 38 years, asking him to pick up his mat and walk.
Healing the Official’s Son (John 4:46-54): Jesus healed the son of a royal official who had faith that his son would be healed if Jesus spoke the word.
Healing a Crippled Woman (Luke 13:10-17): Jesus healed a woman who had been crippled for 18 years, causing her to stand upright.
Healing the Man with Demon Possession in the Synagogue (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37): Jesus cast out a demon from a man in a synagogue, demonstrating his authority over evil spirits.
Healing Malchus’ Ear (Luke 22:50-51): After Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant during Jesus’ arrest, Jesus miraculously healed the man’s ear.
These miraculous healings by Jesus underscore his divine authority over sickness and suffering. Each healing carried deeper spiritual significance, pointing to the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual well-being. They also serve as a powerful testament to Jesus’ boundless compassion and his desire to restore both body and soul.
These additional instances of healing showcase Jesus’ compassion and authority over various physical afflictions, ranging from blindness and demon possession to physical deformities and diseases. Each healing encounter holds unique significance, highlighting different aspects of Jesus’ ministry and his divine power to restore and heal.
Jesus’ Authority Over Demons:
Liberating Hearts and Minds
Throughout the Gospels, the accounts of Jesus casting out demons reveal not only his divine authority but also his compassion for those afflicted by spiritual forces of darkness. These confrontations between Jesus and demonic forces demonstrate his power to bring freedom, healing, and restoration to those in spiritual bondage.
The Gadarene Demoniac (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39): In the region of the Gadarenes, Jesus encountered a man possessed by a legion of demons. Despite the man’s violent and tormented state, Jesus commanded the demons to leave, allowing the man to be restored to sanity. The demons recognized Jesus’ authority and begged to be sent into a herd of pigs, demonstrating his dominion over spiritual forces.
The Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30): When a Gentile woman sought Jesus’ help for her demon-possessed daughter, Jesus’ initial response seemed to dismiss her. However, her persistent faith moved Jesus to grant her request from a distance, showing his compassion for all who seek his help, regardless of their background.
The Boy with a Demon (Matthew 17:14-20; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43): A distraught father brought his epileptic son to Jesus, seeking deliverance from a demon that had plagued the boy since childhood. The disciples’ initial inability to cast out the demon led to Jesus’ lament over their lack of faith. Jesus ultimately rebuked the demon and healed the boy, illustrating the importance of unwavering faith.
The Man in the Synagogue (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37): In a synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus encountered a man possessed by an unclean spirit. The spirit recognized Jesus’ authority and cried out, but Jesus silenced it and commanded it to come out of the man. The people were astonished by his authority over evil spirits.
The Demon-Possessed Blind and Mute Man (Matthew 12:22-37): When a man who was blind and mute due to demon possession was brought to Jesus, he healed the man, restoring his sight and speech. The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul, but Jesus countered their accusations with a powerful response.
Lessons from Demon Encounters: These encounters with demons emphasize Jesus’ authority over the spiritual realm. They showcase his power to liberate individuals from spiritual bondage and to restore their physical and mental well-being. Through his interactions with demons, Jesus demonstrates that his kingdom brings light to the darkest corners of human existence.
In conclusion, the narratives of Jesus casting out demons highlight his divine authority and compassion. These encounters reveal his unwavering commitment to setting captives free and offering hope to those ensnared by darkness. They also underscore his call for unwavering faith and his invitation to experience true freedom through a personal relationship with him.
Jesus’ Power Over Death:
Triumphing Over the Ultimate Enemy
The resurrection of the dead stands as one of the most profound displays of Jesus’ divine authority and his victory over death itself. The Gospel accounts of Jesus raising the dead provide a glimpse into his compassion, his ability to reverse the irreversible, and his ultimate purpose of bringing life and hope to humanity.
Raising Jairus’ Daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56): When Jairus, a synagogue ruler, approached Jesus in desperation, his daughter was already dead. Undeterred, Jesus declared, “Do not fear; only believe,” and entered the house to raise the girl to life. His touch and command exemplified his authority over death, and the girl arose, restored to her family.
Raising the Widow’s Son in Nain (Luke 7:11-17): While entering the city of Nain, Jesus encountered a funeral procession for a widow’s only son. Filled with compassion, he approached the bier, touched it, and commanded the young man to arise. The dead man sat up, and Jesus presented him to his mother, an act of profound compassion and restoration.
Lazarus Raised from the Dead (John 11:1-44): Perhaps the most iconic of these miracles, the raising of Lazarus, showcases Jesus’ power over even the grave. Despite Lazarus being dead for four days, Jesus called him forth from the tomb, declaring, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus emerged, still bound in grave clothes, a living testimony to Jesus’ authority over death.
The Significance of These Resurrections: These miraculous resurrections point to Jesus as the giver of life and the conqueror of death. His compassionate response to human suffering, his ability to reverse the irreversible, and his willingness to challenge societal norms all underline his divinity and the fulfillment of his mission to bring abundant life.
The Ultimate Resurrection: Jesus’ Own Resurrection: While Jesus’ raising of others from the dead displays his authority, his own resurrection from the dead is the pinnacle of this power. His triumph over death on Easter morning confirmed his identity as the Son of God and validated his promise of eternal life to all who believe in him.
A Message of Hope and Victory: The accounts of Jesus raising the dead resonate with believers throughout history. They remind us that death has been conquered and that through Jesus, there is the promise of resurrection and eternal life. Just as he restored life to those who were physically dead, Jesus offers spiritual life to all who trust in him.
In conclusion, the narratives of Jesus raising the dead underscore his divine authority over death and his mission to offer life and hope to humanity. These miracles provide a glimpse into his compassionate heart, his power to reverse the irreversible, and his ultimate purpose of conquering death for all who believe.
Walking on Water:
Jesus’ Mastery Over Nature and Faith
The extraordinary account of Jesus walking on water reveals his divine mastery over both nature and faith. This remarkable incident, recorded in the Gospels, showcases his power to transcend physical laws and the profound implications of unwavering faith.
Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21: Following the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee in a boat while he retreated to pray. In the midst of the night, a fierce storm arose, battering the boat. Amidst the tempest, Jesus appeared, walking on the water.
Implications of Jesus’ Actions:
- Authority Over Nature: By walking on water, Jesus demonstrated his sovereignty over the elements. He revealed that he was not bound by the laws of physics, illustrating his divine nature.
- Faith’s Triumph Over Fear: Peter, captivated by Jesus’ presence, ventured out of the boat to join him on the water. As long as he focused on Jesus, his faith sustained him. Yet, when he doubted, he began to sink.
- Lessons in Faith: This incident teaches that faith enables believers to step beyond the confines of the ordinary and experience the supernatural. However, doubt can hinder such experiences.
Walking on Water and Faith Lessons:
- Trust Amidst Chaos: The storm represents life’s challenges. As Jesus approaches, he teaches that amidst chaos, one can find security and peace by fixing their gaze on him.
- Step Out in Faith: Like Peter, stepping out of the boat symbolizes stepping out in faith, even when the circumstances seem impossible. True growth happens beyond one’s comfort zone.
- Fixing Eyes on Jesus: Peter began to sink when he focused on the storm. Likewise, when believers focus on problems rather than Jesus, they falter. A steadfast gaze keeps faith afloat.
- Rescued by Jesus: When Peter cried out, Jesus immediately rescued him. This highlights Jesus’ readiness to save those who call upon him, even when their faith wavers.
The Ultimate Message: Walking on water conveys a profound truth: Jesus is the “I AM,” the one who transcends the natural order and calms the storms of life. His invitation to “come” encourages believers to walk in faith, experiencing the miraculous as they fix their eyes on him.
In conclusion, the narrative of Jesus walking on water holds rich symbolism. It displays Jesus’ authority over nature and serves as a lesson in unwavering faith. This extraordinary event challenges believers to step beyond their limits, keeping their gaze on Jesus amidst life’s storms.
Miraculous Feeding:
Abundant Provision and Spiritual Nourishment
The miraculous feedings of the 5,000 and the 4,000 recorded in the Gospels demonstrate Jesus’ compassionate care for physical needs and convey deeper spiritual truths. These events reveal his divine power to provide abundantly and point to the satisfaction he offers to all who come to him.
Feeding the 5,000 – Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15: In a desolate place, Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd of 5,000 men, along with women and children. The leftovers filled twelve baskets, symbolizing divine abundance.
Feeding the 4,000 – Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10: In another instance, Jesus multiplied seven loaves and a few fish to feed a multitude of 4,000 men, plus women and children. This time, seven baskets of leftovers remained.
Profound Spiritual Lessons:
- Physical and Spiritual Sustenance: Just as Jesus provided physical nourishment, he offers spiritual sustenance. He is the Bread of Life, satisfying the deepest hunger of the soul.
- Abundant Provision: The leftover fragments emphasized God’s abundant provision. No matter how scarce resources may seem, Jesus is the source of overflowing blessing.
- Faith and Obedience: Jesus involved the disciples in distributing the food. Their obedience demonstrated how faith and action play vital roles in God’s miraculous work.
- Universal Care: Jesus’ care extended to both Jews and Gentiles, exemplified by the two distinct miracles. He meets the needs of all who come to him.
Messages for Today:
- Trust in God’s Provision: Just as Jesus multiplied food, he meets physical and spiritual needs today. Trust in his ability to provide.
- Abundance Amid Scarcity: In times of scarcity, remember God’s ability to multiply resources. He can exceed expectations even when circumstances seem dire.
- Dependence on Christ: Just as the crowds depended on Jesus for sustenance, humanity depends on him for salvation and fulfillment.
- Sharing with Others: As the disciples distributed the food, believers are called to share the blessings God provides, both materially and spiritually.
The Bread of Life: These feedings point beyond physical nourishment, directing attention to Jesus as the source of life. He proclaimed, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). His miraculous acts foreshadow the ultimate act of self-sacrifice on the cross.
In conclusion, the miraculous feedings of the 5,000 and 4,000 showcase Jesus’ compassion, abundance, and provision. Beyond satisfying physical hunger, they signify the Bread of Life who nourishes souls for eternity.
Healing the Canaanite Woman’s Daughter:
A Testament to Inclusive Compassion
The story of Jesus healing the Canaanite woman’s daughter, recounted in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30, is a profound illustration of Jesus’ compassionate ministry that transcends cultural and societal boundaries. This narrative not only highlights the mother’s relentless faith but also showcases Jesus’ willingness to extend his healing touch to all who believe.
A Desperate Plea: In this account, a Canaanite woman, hailing from a region historically at odds with Jewish people, approached Jesus with a heartrending plea. Her daughter was tormented by a demon, and her desperation led her to seek help from Jesus, despite her outsider status.
A Test of Faith: Initially, Jesus’ response seemed somewhat dismissive, as he remarked that his mission was primarily to the “lost sheep of Israel.” However, the woman’s persistent plea for help demonstrated her unwavering faith. She humbly persisted, kneeling before Jesus and pleading, “Lord, help me!”
A Profound Exchange: What followed was a poignant dialogue between Jesus and the woman. He used an analogy of bread meant for children and dogs under the table to illustrate his initial mission to the Jews. Yet, the woman’s response revealed her profound faith: “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
A Revelation of Faith: This Canaanite woman’s reply struck a chord with Jesus. Her faith, humility, and insight into his compassionate nature impressed him. In that moment, Jesus acknowledged her faith as “great” and declared, “You may go; your daughter is healed.”
A Message of Inclusion: This encounter holds significance beyond the healing itself. Jesus’ response showcases his universal compassion, indicating that his healing power transcends ethnic divisions. He affirmed the Gentile woman’s faith and broadened the scope of his ministry to encompass all who come to him in faith.
Lessons for Today: The healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter teaches us the value of persistent faith and the all-encompassing reach of Christ’s compassion. It underscores that Jesus’ grace is available to everyone, regardless of their background or origin.
In conclusion, the healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter highlights Jesus’ compassionate and inclusive ministry. This encounter not only demonstrates the power of faith but also underscores that Christ’s healing and transformative touch is extended to all who approach him with open hearts.
Healing a Centurion’s Servant:
A Testament to Faith and Compassion
The story of Jesus healing a centurion’s servant, recounted in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10, stands as a remarkable illustration of both divine power and human faith. This narrative unfolds with a centurion’s plea for healing and Jesus’ response, showcasing the transcendent nature of Christ’s ministry.
A Pleading Centurion: In this account, a centurion, a Roman officer, approached Jesus seeking help for his paralyzed servant. This centurion, despite being a Gentile, showed remarkable compassion and concern for his servant’s well-being. His plea resonated with humility, as he acknowledged Jesus’ authority and power to heal.
An Expression of Faith: What makes this narrative particularly compelling is the centurion’s faith-filled declaration. He recognized Jesus’ authority and compared it to his own military command structure, expressing faith that a mere word from Jesus could bring about healing. This Gentile’s faith astounded Jesus and stood in contrast to the religious leaders’ skepticism.
A Compassionate Response: Jesus’ response showcased his compassion and willingness to embrace people from all walks of life. He marveled at the centurion’s faith and proclaimed that such faith was a rarity even among the Israelites. In Matthew’s account, Jesus declared, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” The servant was healed at that very moment.
The Centurion’s Understanding: The centurion’s understanding of authority and his faith exceeded cultural boundaries. His acknowledgement of Jesus as the divine source of healing demonstrated that the message of Christ’s ministry was not confined to a single group.
A Broader Message: This incident serves as a precursor to Jesus’ commission to his disciples to spread the Gospel to all nations. The centurion’s faith foreshadowed the inclusion of Gentiles into the Kingdom of God, demonstrating that God’s grace extends to everyone.
Lessons for Today: The healing of the centurion’s servant teaches us the significance of genuine faith, irrespective of social status or background. It reminds us that Christ’s authority transcends human structures and that a heart submitted to his sovereignty can experience transformation.
In conclusion, the healing of the centurion’s servant encapsulates the essence of Jesus’ ministry—compassion, authority, and transformative faith. This narrative highlights the profound impact of faith and demonstrates that the message of salvation and healing is meant for all who believe.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Triumph over Death and Ultimate Hope
The resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as the pivotal event in Christian faith, profoundly impacting believers and shaping the course of history. This miraculous occurrence not only fulfilled prophecies but also serves as a cornerstone of Christian theology, offering hope, redemption, and eternal life.
Resurrection as Prophetic Fulfillment: The resurrection of Jesus was not an unforeseen event but the culmination of prophetic declarations. In Psalm 16:10, it was foretold that God’s Holy One would not see decay, a promise fulfilled in Jesus’ resurrection. Additionally, Jesus himself predicted his resurrection multiple times, including in Matthew 16:21.
Historical Evidence and Eyewitness Accounts: The resurrection is substantiated by the accounts of witnesses who encountered the risen Jesus. The empty tomb, recorded in all four Gospels, attests to the physical absence of his body. Eyewitness testimonies from the disciples, women, and even skeptics like Thomas (John 20:24-29) provide compelling evidence.
Transformation of the Disciples: The once-fearful and disheartened disciples were transformed into bold proclaimers of the Gospel following the resurrection. Their unwavering conviction and willingness to endure persecution and martyrdom underscore the reality of their encounter with the risen Christ.
Impact on Christian Theology: The resurrection validates Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God and affirms the divinity of his mission. It confirms the efficacy of his sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins and the reconciliation of humanity with God. Through the resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death, offering believers the promise of eternal life.
Hope for Believers: For Christians, the resurrection is the foundation of hope. It assures that death is not the end but a transition to life eternal. The Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:17-22 highlight the significance of the resurrection: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
Victory Over the Powers of Darkness: The resurrection represents the ultimate victory over the forces of evil and darkness. Colossians 2:15 proclaims that Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities, triumphing over them through the cross and resurrection.
Confirmation of Divine Identity: The resurrection serves as God’s resounding “amen” to Jesus’ life and teachings. Romans 1:4 declares that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead.”
The Resurrected Life: For believers, the resurrection signifies new life in Christ. Romans 6:4 emphasizes that as Christ was raised from the dead, we too may walk in newness of life.
Eternal Hope and Reunion: The resurrection promises believers a future reunion with their loved ones who have also placed their faith in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes the glorious return of Christ, when the dead in Christ will rise first.
In conclusion, the resurrection of Jesus Christ transcends history and doctrine, encapsulating the essence of Christianity. It is the ultimate demonstration of divine power, fulfillment of prophecy, and assurance of eternal life. For Christians, of whom put their in Him the resurrection brings profound hope, transformation, and the promise of everlasting communion with God.
Science:
In all history science has not disproved any Biblical statements about anything scientific.
John MacArthur in his book, You Can Believe the Bible, says, “The Bible also presents a most plausible, objective understanding of the universe and the existence of life. It presents a God who creates. That makes more sense than believing that everything came out of nothing, which is essentially what the theory of evolution says. I have an easier time assuming that someone produced everything. And the Bible tells me who that someone is: God.
The study of creation helps explain how the earth’s geology became the way it is. The Bible tells of a supernatural creation that took place in six days and of a catastrophic worldwide flood. These two events help explain many geological and other scientific questions, some of which we will soon explore.
You will find that the Bible is accurate when it intersects with modern scientific concepts. For example, Isaiah 40:26 says it is God who creates the universe. He holds the stars together by His power and not one of them is ever missing. In this way the Bible suggests the first law of thermodynamics—that ultimately nothing is ever destroyed.
We read in Ecclesiastes 1:10: “Is there anything of which one might say, ‘See this, it is new’?” The answer immediately follows: “Already it has existed for ages which were before us.” Ancient writers of the Bible, thousands of years before the laws of thermodynamics had been categorically stated, were affirming the conservation of mass and energy.
The second law of thermodynamics states that although mass and energy are always conserved, they nevertheless are breaking down and going from order to disorder, from cosmos to chaos, from system to non-system. The Bible, contrary to the theory of evolution, affirms that. As matter breaks down and energy dissipates, ultimately the world and universe as we know it will become dead. It will be unable to reproduce itself. Romans 8 says that all creation groans because of its curse, which is described at the beginning of the Bible (Genesis 3). That curse—and God’s plan to reverse the curse—is reflected throughout biblical teaching.
The science of hydrology studies the cycle of water, which consists of three major phases: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Clouds move over the land and drop water through precipitation. The rain runs into creeks, the creeks run into streams, the streams run into the sea, and the evaporation process takes place all the way along the path. That same process is described in Scripture. Ecclesiastes 1 and Isaiah 55 present the entire water cycle: “All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again” (Ecclesiastes 1:7). “For . . . the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth” (Isaiah 55:10). Also, Job 36:27-28 speaks of evaporation and condensation—centuries prior to any scientific discovery of the process: “He [God] draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist, which the clouds pour down, they drip upon man abundantly.”
In the 1500s, when Copernicus first presented the idea that the earth was in motion, people were astounded. They previously believed that the earth was a flat disc and that if you went through the Pillars of Hercules at the Rock of Gibraltar you’d fall off the edge. In the seventeenth century, men like Kepler and Galileo gave birth to modern astronomy. Prior to that, the universe was generally thought to contain only about one thousand stars, which was the number that had been counted.
However, in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the number of the stars of heaven is equated with the number of grains of sand on the seashore. God told Abraham, “I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore” ( 22:17 ). Jeremiah 33:22 says that the stars can’t be counted. Again God is speaking: “As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David.” Today several million stars have been cataloged, though hundreds of millions remain unlisted.
The oldest book in the Bible, the Book of Job, pre-dates Christ by about two thousand years. Yet Job 26:7 says, “He hangs the earth on nothing.” In the sacred books of other religions you may read that the earth is on the backs of elephants that produce earthquakes when they shake. The cosmogony of Greek mythology is at about the same level of sophistication. But the Bible is in a completely different class. It says, “He . . . hangs the earth on nothing” (emphasis added).
Job also says that the earth is “turned like the clay to the seal” (38:14, KJV*). In those days, soft clay was used for writing and a seal was used for applying one’s signature. One kind of seal was a hollow cylinder of hardened clay with a signature raised on it. A stick went through it so that it could be rolled like a rolling pin. The writer could, therefore, roll his signature across the soft clay and in that way sign his name. In saying the earth is turned like the clay to the seal, Job may have implied that it rotates on its axis. The Hebrew word translated “earth” (hug) refers to a sphere.
It’s also interesting to note that the earth maintains a perfect balance. If you’ve ever seen a basketball that’s out of balance, you know that it rotates unevenly. You can imagine what would happen if the earth were like that. The earth is a perfect sphere, and it is perfectly balanced. The depths of the sea have to be balanced with the height of the mountains. The branch of science that studies that balance is called isostasy. In Isaiah 40:12, centuries before science even conceived of this phenomenon, Isaiah said that God “has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales.”
English philosopher Herbert Spencer, who died in 1903, was famous for applying scientific discoveries to philosophy. He listed five knowable categories in the natural sciences: time, force, motion, space, and matter. However, Genesis 1:1, the first verse in the Bible, says, “In the beginning [time] God [force] created [motion] the heavens [space] and the earth [matter].” God laid it all out in the very first verse of Scripture.
The Bible truly is the revelation of God to mankind. He wants us to know about Him and the world He created. Although the Bible does not contain scientific terminology, it is amazingly accurate whenever it happens to refer to scientific truth. But someone might say, “Wait a minute. The Old Testament says that the sun once stood still, and if that happened, the sun didn’t really stand still; the earth stopped revolving.” Yes, but that statement is based on the perception of someone on earth.
When you got up this morning, you didn’t look east and say, “What a lovely earth rotation!” From your perspective, you saw a sunrise. And because you permit yourself to do that, you must permit Scripture to do that as well.”
The Accurate Foretelling of Historical Events:
A Testament to Divine Insight
The Bible’s astounding accuracy in foretelling historical events stands as a remarkable testament to its divine origin and insight beyond human comprehension. Prophecies spanning the life of Jesus, the fate of Israel, and various geopolitical developments provide compelling evidence of a higher knowledge guiding its words. Bible scholars have identified numerous prophecies that have been fulfilled, showcasing the Bible’s unparalleled predictive power.
Fulfillment of Prophecies: Bible scholars have documented well over 300 prophecies fulfilled throughout history. These prophecies encompass a range of themes, from the birth and ministry of Jesus to the destiny of nations, validating the Bible’s supernatural insight.
Messianic Prophecies: Birth and Ministry of Jesus: The Old Testament contains a multitude of prophecies about the Messiah. Micah 5:2 foretold Jesus’ birthplace in Bethlehem. Isaiah 53 described His suffering and sacrificial death. Psalm 22 vividly depicted His crucifixion.
Specific Details of Jesus’ Crucifixion: Psalm 22:16 accurately described the piercing of Jesus’ hands and feet, a detail fulfilled during His crucifixion. Zechariah 12:10 foresaw the piercing of the Messiah, portraying the event with uncanny accuracy.
Israel’s Fate and Restoration: Numerous prophecies outlined Israel’s scattering and eventual restoration as a nation. The Babylonian exile, foretold by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11), and Israel’s dispersion, predicted in Deuteronomy 28:64, align with historical records.
The Rebirth of Israel: Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones coming to life (Ezekiel 37) metaphorically depicted Israel’s restoration. The reestablishment of Israel as a nation in 1948, after centuries of exile, marked a fulfillment of this prophecy.
Destruction of Tyre and Babylon: Prophecies concerning the fall of Tyre (Ezekiel 26) and the downfall of Babylon (Isaiah 13) accurately depicted these cities’ fates, despite their historical prominence.
Daniel’s Prophecies of Empires: The book of Daniel predicted the rise and fall of empires, including Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. These prophecies align with historical records, demonstrating a profound insight into geopolitical shifts.
End Times Prophecies: Prophecies concerning the End Times, as outlined in Matthew 24, Daniel 7, and Revelation, continue to captivate attention with their relevance to contemporary world events.
Global Spread of Christianity: The worldwide spread of Christianity, as predicted in Acts 1:8, underscores the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Historical Reliability: The fulfillment of these prophecies affirms the Bible’s historical reliability, transcending human limitations and offering a glimpse into the divine perspective on history.
In conclusion, the Bible’s accurate foretelling of historical events, from the life of Jesus to the fate of nations, serves as an awe-inspiring testament to divine insight beyond human comprehension. The fulfillment of these prophecies, documented by scholars, provides compelling evidence of the Bible’s divine origin and its enduring relevance in guiding humanity through the course of history.
- Jesus’ Divine Origin: Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
- No mention of an earthly father, unlike the rest of Genesis genealogies.
- Jesus’ Family Line and Blessing: Genesis 12:3 “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you [Abraham].” Genesis 17:19 “your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him…”
- Jesus’ Virgin Mother: Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
- Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem: Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times [eternity].”
- Jesus’ Sinless Life: Isaiah 53:9 “…he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.”
- Jesus’ Family Fleeing to Egypt: Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”
- Jesus’ Entering the Temple: Malachi 3:1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple…”
- Jesus’ Way Prepared by John the Baptist: Isaiah 40:3 “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.'”
- Jesus’ Performing Miracles: Isaiah 35:5–6 “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.”
- Jesus’ Riding into Jerusalem on a Donkey: Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous & having salvation, gentle & riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
- Jesus’ Betrayal by a Friend: Psalm 41:9 “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”
- Jesus’ Betrayal for 30 Pieces of Silver: Zechariah 11:12–13 “…they paid me 30 pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’—the handsome price at which they priced me!”
- Jesus’ Beaten and Abused: Isaiah 50:6 “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.”
- Jesus’ Clothing Gambled For: Psalm 22:18 “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”
- Jesus Hated and Rejected: Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, & familiar with suffering…”
- Jesus Not Defending Himself: Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter…”
- Jesus’ Crucifixion: Psalm 22:16 “Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.”
- Jesus’ Death with Sinners: Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong…”
- Jesus’ Bones Not Broken: Exodus 12:46 “Do not break any of the [Passover lamb’s] bones.” Psalm 34:20 “. . . he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”
- Jesus Forsaken by God: Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me…”
- Jesus’ Death: Isaiah 53:8b “For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.”
- Jesus Buried with the Rich: Isaiah 53:9 “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence…”
- Jesus’ Resurrection: Psalm 16:10 “…you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” Isaiah 53:10–11 “…though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering [death], he will see his offspring and prolong his days…”
- Jesus’ Ascent into Heaven: Psalm 68:18 “When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train.”
- Jesus Seated at the Father’s Right Hand: Psalm 110:1 “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'”
Martyrdom of Disciples: The Testimony of Sacrifice
The profound willingness of early disciples to embrace martyrdom for their beliefs stands as a resounding testament to their unwavering conviction in the truth of the message they proclaimed. This sacrificial commitment, as evidenced in passages like Acts 7:59-60, underscores the sincerity of their faith and speaks volumes about the transformative power of encountering the risen Christ.
Stephen’s Bold Stand: Acts 7:59-60: Stephen, the first Christian martyr, demonstrated extraordinary courage and conviction in the face of death. His final prayer for forgiveness of his persecutors mirrored Christ’s own words on the cross, revealing the depth of his faith.
James the Apostle: Acts 12:1-2: James, the brother of John and one of Jesus’ inner circle, faced execution under Herod Agrippa. His martyrdom, recorded in Acts 12, illustrates the disciples’ unwavering commitment, even in the face of intense persecution.
Peter’s Crucifixion: John 21:18-19: Though not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, tradition suggests that Peter, after a life of service and leadership, faced crucifixion in Rome, choosing to be crucified upside down due to his humility and dedication to Christ.
Paul’s Martyrdom: Tradition and 2 Timothy 4:6-8: While not recorded in detail in the Bible, early church tradition holds that Paul, the prolific apostle, also faced martyrdom, possibly beheaded in Rome. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Paul’s anticipation of his departure underscores his faithfulness.
Polycarp of Smyrna: Early Church Witness: Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, faced execution in the second century. His refusal to renounce Christ, even under threat of death, showcased the enduring legacy of faith.
Perpetua and Felicity: Early Christian Women: Perpetua and Felicity, early Christian martyrs, demonstrated their unwavering faith in the face of persecution and death. Their story highlights the inclusivity of martyrdom in the early church.
Early Christian Martyrdom Movement: The willingness of early Christians to face persecution and death in the Roman arena marked the beginning of a powerful martyrdom movement that spoke volumes about their commitment to Christ.
Legacy of Inspiration: The disciples’ martyrdoms, recorded and unrecorded, serve as enduring inspirations for believers. They reinforce the depth of their conviction and the authenticity of their faith.
Enduring Witness: The testimonies of these martyrs resonate across generations, reminding believers of the cost of discipleship and challenging them to live out their faith boldly.
Seeds of the Church’s Growth: Paradoxically, the martyrdoms of early disciples fertilized the growth of the early church. Tertullian’s words, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church,” reflect the enduring impact.
In conclusion, the willingness of early disciples to lay down their lives for their faith reflects a depth of conviction that transcends fear and persecution. Their unwavering commitment, rooted in their encounters with the risen Christ, continues to inspire believers, underscoring the power of a faith that transforms lives and stands the test of time.
Bible References: Acts 7:59-60, Acts 12:1-2, John 21:18-19, 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
Manuscript Evidence: Strengthening the Reliability of Scripture
The wealth of manuscript evidence substantiating the Bible’s text not only underscores its historical accuracy but also serves as a powerful testament to its truthfulness. With numerous manuscripts and fragments distributed across different time periods and regions, the Bible’s consistent transmission and the study of textual variants enhance our understanding of its authenticity.
Abundance of Manuscripts: The Bible boasts an impressive number of manuscripts, including full copies and fragments, surpassing any other ancient work. The New Testament alone has around 5,800 Greek manuscripts, along with translations and quotations by early church fathers.
Geographical and Temporal Diversity: The distribution of these manuscripts spans various regions and time periods. This diversity is crucial, as it reduces the likelihood of intentional alteration or corruption.
Consistent Transmission: The consistent transmission of the biblical text is a remarkable feature. Despite minor variations that arise naturally through copying, the core message remains intact. This consistency assures us of the text’s reliability.
Early Manuscripts and Papyri: The discovery of early manuscripts and papyri, like the Chester Beatty Papyri and the Bodmer Papyri, allows us to compare their content with later manuscripts. These findings validate the accurate preservation of the text over centuries.
Historical and Literary Comparisons: The Bible’s manuscripts are often cross-referenced with historical events and literary works of the time. This interdisciplinary approach corroborates the biblical narrative’s authenticity.
Study of Variants for Clarity: While textual variants exist due to copying errors, most are minor and do not affect core doctrines. The study of variants enhances scholarly understanding of linguistic nuances and the transmission process.
Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus: The Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, dating to the 4th century, are among the earliest complete manuscripts of the Bible. Their similarity strengthens the textual reliability.
Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Bezae: The Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Bezae provide insights into different textual traditions. Comparative analysis reveals the consistent transmission of essential content.
Cultural and Historical Insights: Manuscripts offer glimpses into the cultures, languages, and historical contexts of the times they were copied. These insights enrich our understanding of the Bible’s background.
Preservation Through Centuries: The meticulous efforts of scribes and copyists, despite challenges and limitations, have preserved the biblical text through centuries. This dedication to accuracy reinforces the credibility of the manuscripts.
In conclusion, the abundance of manuscripts, their geographical diversity, and the consistent transmission of the biblical text affirm the Bible’s reliability and authenticity. The study of textual variants and the preservation of the core message across time underscore its truthfulness. This robust manuscript evidence serves as a solid foundation for understanding the Bible’s historical accuracy and enduring relevance.
The Significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Illuminating the Bible’s Authenticity
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of ancient Jewish texts found between 1947 and 1956 near the Dead Sea, is a monumental archaeological achievement that holds immense significance for our understanding of the Bible’s authenticity, historical context, and transmission.
Ancient Preservation: The Dead Sea Scrolls, dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE, provide a window into the religious and literary world of Second Temple Judaism. These scrolls include copies of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Old Testament, and other religious and non-religious texts.
Confirmation of Textual Integrity: The Dead Sea Scrolls include fragments from every book of the Old Testament except Esther, confirming the remarkable preservation of the biblical text over centuries. Comparisons with later manuscripts validate the consistency of the text’s transmission.
Variants and Nuances: While textual variants exist, the Dead Sea Scrolls offer insights into linguistic variations, regional dialects, and scribal practices of the time. This study enhances our understanding of the Bible’s original languages and context.
Pre-Christian Jewish Traditions: The scrolls shed light on the diverse religious beliefs and practices within pre-Christian Judaism, providing crucial context for the cultural backdrop in which Jesus and His disciples lived.
Essenes and Qumran Community: The scrolls are associated with the Essenes, a Jewish sect believed to have lived in the Qumran area. The scrolls offer glimpses into their communal life, beliefs, and unique interpretations of scripture.
Profound Implications: The Dead Sea Scrolls’ significance extends beyond textual validation. They challenge assumptions about the development of religious thought, the diversity of ancient Judaism, and the origins of Christianity.
Biblical Scholarly Insights: Scholars have studied the scrolls to gain insights into the origins and textual variations of the Old Testament. The Isaiah Scroll, for instance, is nearly identical to the Masoretic Text, underscoring textual stability.
Contextual Understanding: The scrolls provide a bridge between the biblical world and the modern era, helping us grasp the historical, cultural, and religious context of the Bible’s authors and their audiences.
Archaeological and Theological Dialogue: The Dead Sea Scrolls fuel scholarly discussions about biblical interpretation, religious history, and the development of early Christianity. They serve as a point of connection between archaeological findings and theological insights.
Legacy of Discovery: The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls ranks among the most significant archaeological achievements of the 20th century. Their legacy continues to influence biblical studies, history, and interfaith dialogue.
In conclusion, the Dead Sea Scrolls are an invaluable treasure trove that enriches our understanding of the Bible’s authenticity, historical context, and the dynamic tapestry of ancient Judaism. Their discovery reinforces the Bible’s reliability, providing a tangible link between the text we have today and the world in which it was written.
Historical Evidence and Enduring Belief in Jesus’ Resurrection: Affirmation of the Bible’s Reliability and God’s Redemptive Plan
The historical evidence and enduring belief in Jesus’ resurrection stand as profound testimonies that affirm the Bible’s reliability and underscore God’s redemptive plan for humanity. This pivotal event not only serves as the cornerstone of Christian faith but also offers compelling support for the Bible’s credibility.
Early Witness and Gospel Testimonies: The Gospels, written within decades of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, detail eyewitness accounts of His resurrection appearances. Their consistency across diverse authors emphasizes its historicity.
Empty Tomb and Jewish Opposition: The discovery of the empty tomb, reported by all four Gospels, defies alternative explanations and challenges early Jewish opponents who could have easily disproved the claim by producing the body.
Transformation of Disciples: The radical transformation of Jesus’ disciples, from despondence to fearless proclamation, points to a compelling encounter that shifted their worldview. This transformation aligns with post-resurrection appearances.
Early Christian Creed and Pauline Letters: Early creeds, like the one in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, predate the Gospels and summarize resurrection appearances. Paul’s letters further validate early belief and witnesses to the risen Christ.
Martyrdom and Risking Lives: Disciples’ willingness to face martyrdom for their conviction underscores their confidence in Jesus’ resurrection. Their commitment dispels doubts of fabricated stories.
Church Growth and Societal Impact: The explosive growth of the early church amidst persecution was fueled by the resurrection message. This impact on society challenges skeptical theories.
Conversion of Skeptics: James, Jesus’ brother, and Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, became believers after personal encounters with the risen Christ, highlighting the transformational power of such encounters.
Historical Sources and Non-Christian Writers: References in non-Christian sources, like Josephus and Tacitus, allude to Jesus’ crucifixion and early Christian beliefs, adding historical context to the biblical account.
Continued Belief and Global Influence: The enduring belief in Jesus’ resurrection transcends centuries, cultures, and geographical boundaries, shaping art, literature, and societies.
Foundational to Redemption: The resurrection is central to God’s redemptive plan, validating Jesus’ sacrifice and providing hope for eternal life. 1 Peter 1:3 emphasizes this living hope through Jesus’ resurrection.
In conclusion, the historical evidence of Jesus’ resurrection, combined with the enduring belief rooted in the Scriptures, powerfully affirms the Bible’s reliability and God’s redemptive plan for humanity. This event remains a beacon of hope, transforming lives and testifying to the enduring truth of the Gospel narrative.
Bible References: 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 1 Peter 1:3.
Harmony: The Seamless Message of the Bible
The Bible’s remarkable harmony emerges from its diverse authors, genres, and time periods, weaving a unified message that defies human origin. This seamless cohesiveness underscores the Bible’s divine inspiration.
Diverse Authors, United Message: The Bible boasts numerous authors from diverse backgrounds, including shepherds, kings, prophets, and fishermen. Despite these variations, the Bible’s themes of redemption, love, and divine sovereignty remain consistent.
Range of Genres, Singular Theme: From poetry to history, prophecy to letters, the Bible spans various genres. Yet, its underlying theme of God’s plan for humanity’s salvation remains constant, reinforcing divine orchestration.
Historical and Cultural Context, Eternal Truths: The Bible addresses historical and cultural contexts while conveying timeless truths. The intricate balance between the specific and the universal reflects divine insight.
Unity Amidst Complexity: The Bible’s unity arises from diverse voices amplifying a single narrative. Paul’s writings echo Isaiah’s prophecies, while John’s Revelation resonates with Daniel’s visions. This unity transcends centuries.
Prophecies Fulfilled: The Bible’s predictive prophecies, spanning centuries, converge on events like Christ’s birth, crucifixion, and resurrection. This convergence suggests foresight beyond human capacity.
Christological Thread: A Christological thread runs through the Old and New Testaments, portraying Jesus as the focal point of God’s redemptive plan. Prophetic foreshadowing aligns with Gospel fulfillment.
Transforming Power: The Bible’s consistent message has transformed countless lives, transcending cultural and temporal boundaries. Its ability to resonate with diverse hearts attests to its divine origin.
Intellectual and Spiritual Depth: The Bible’s profundity resonates with scholars and seekers alike. It addresses deep philosophical questions while offering spiritual insights that resonate across generations.
Historical Validity, Theological Truth: Archaeological discoveries affirm historical accuracy, while theologically, the Bible’s teachings align harmoniously, underpinning its claim to divine inspiration.
Enduring Relevance: The Bible’s relevance endures as it speaks to humanity’s core needs: purpose, redemption, and divine connection. Its words, spoken through diverse pens, continue to resonate.
In conclusion, the Bible’s seamless harmony across diverse authors, genres, and time periods reveals a message that transcends human capacity. This unity, despite complexity, suggests divine inspiration. The Bible’s transformative power and timeless relevance further solidify its role as a sacred text with a profound and unified message for humanity.
The underlying theme of God’s plan for humanity’s salvation resonates throughout the Bible, serving as a golden thread that weaves together the diverse narratives. From the Old Testament’s foreshadowing promises of a Redeemer to the New Testament’s fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this central theme underscores God’s relentless pursuit to reconcile humanity to Himself. This redemptive narrative showcases His unfailing love, mercy, and grace, inviting individuals from every age and background to partake in the ultimate story of salvation.
Archaeological Discoveries: Evidence of Biblical Reliability
Archaeological findings offer tangible support for the historical accuracy of the Bible. These discoveries corroborate events, locations, and details mentioned in the text, providing insights into the lives of ancient people and confirming the Bible’s reliability. Notable examples, like the discovery of the Pool of Siloam, underscore the Bible’s historical foundation.
Pool of Siloam: John 9:7: The discovery of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, as described in John 9:7, lends concrete confirmation to the Gospel account. Unearthed in 2004, the pool’s steps align with the biblical description of the blind man washing his eyes and receiving sight.
City of David and Hezekiah’s Tunnel: 2 Chronicles 32:30: The excavations at the City of David in Jerusalem unearthed evidence of Hezekiah’s tunnel, mentioned in 2 Chronicles 32:30. The tunnel, part of a complex water system, provides historical insight into the city’s engineering achievements.
Tel Dan Inscription: 1 Kings 15:20: The Tel Dan Inscription, dating back to the 9th century BC, contains a reference to the “House of David.” This inscription corroborates the existence of the biblical King David and his dynasty.
Dead Sea Scrolls: Varied References: The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the mid-20th century, include ancient manuscripts that confirm biblical texts’ accuracy and preservation. They contain fragments of nearly every book of the Old Testament, affirming the Bible’s authenticity.
City of Jericho: Joshua 6: Excavations at Jericho have revealed a collapsed city wall that aligns with the biblical account in Joshua 6. This finding supports the narrative of the Israelites’ conquest of the city.
Pilate Inscription: Luke 3:1: The Pilate Inscription, an artifact from Caesarea Maritima, mentions Pontius Pilate as the prefect of Judea. This inscription corroborates the historical figure mentioned in the Gospel accounts, including Luke 3:1.
Ebla Tablets: Varied References: The Ebla Tablets, dating to around 2300 BC, include references to cities, people, and customs mentioned in the Bible. These clay tablets provide insights into the cultural context of biblical times.
These archaeological discoveries bridge the gap between ancient texts and modern understanding, offering tangible evidence that supports the Bible’s historical reliability. While archaeological findings may not confirm every narrative detail, they underscore the Bible’s foundation in historical reality.
In conclusion, the archaeological discoveries of sites like the Pool of Siloam, the City of David, and others align with the historical details mentioned in the Bible. These findings provide tangible evidence of the Bible’s reliability and offer valuable insights into the lives of those who lived during biblical times.
Bible References: John 9:7, 2 Chronicles 32:30, 1 Kings 15:20, Joshua 6, Luke 3:1.
The Bible’s Profound Impact on Cultures, Ethics, Literature, and Law
The Bible, a collection of sacred texts, has left an indelible mark on humanity, shaping cultures, ethics, literature, and law across centuries. Its influence extends beyond religious boundaries, reflecting its timeless and divinely inspired messages. Key references within the Bible underscore its lasting significance and divine origin.
Cultural Transformation: The Bible’s narratives, teachings, and values have permeated global cultures, influencing art, music, customs, and traditions. Concepts of love, justice, and compassion find roots in biblical principles. Psalm 33:12 emphasizes God’s role in shaping nations, while Proverbs 14:34 underscores righteousness’s exaltation.
Ethical Foundations: Biblical morality has underpinned ethical frameworks worldwide. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) set standards for personal conduct. Micah 6:8 guides toward justice, mercy, and humility, while Galatians 5:22-23 lists virtues borne of the Spirit.
Literary Influence: The Bible’s rich narratives, poetry, and allegories have inspired countless literary works. Biblical allusions enhance symbolism, depth, and meaning in literature. Genesis 1:1’s iconic opening echoes in John 1:1, portraying the Word’s creative power, referenced in John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.”
Legal Foundations: Biblical concepts shaped legal systems globally. Deuteronomy 16:18 calls for just judges, influencing judicial fairness. Romans 13:1-7 underscores submission to authorities, seen in Western legal traditions. Exodus 21:24’s “eye for an eye” principle resonates in modern legal notions of proportionality.
Enduring Significance: Biblical truths, rooted in divine wisdom, transcend temporal bounds. Hebrews 4:12 portrays the Word’s living power. Isaiah 40:8 emphasizes the permanence of God’s word, echoed in the Bible’s enduring influence.
Unity Amidst Diversity: The Bible unites diverse cultures under shared spiritual heritage. Acts 2:5-11 highlights Pentecost’s unity through diverse languages. Ephesians 4:3-6 underscores a common faith, bridging divisions.
Moral Compass Amidst Change: Amidst societal shifts, the Bible remains a steadfast moral compass. 2 Timothy 3:16 emphasizes scripture’s role in teaching, rebuking, and correcting. Its principles guide ethical choices in ever-changing landscapes.
In conclusion, the Bible’s profound impact on cultures, ethics, literature, and law attests to its lasting significance. Its influence transcends time, reflecting divine inspiration. Its transformative power continues to shape individuals, societies, and the world at large.
Bible References: Psalm 33:12, Proverbs 14:34, Exodus 20:1-17, Matthew 5-7, Micah 6:8, Galatians 5:22-23, Genesis 1:1, John 1:1, Deuteronomy 16:18, Romans 13:1-7, Exodus 21:24, Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 40:8, Acts 2:5-11, Ephesians 4:3-6, 2 Timothy 3:16.
The Firsthand Testimonies of Jesus’ Witnesses: Evidence of Authenticity and Divine Inspiration
The Bible’s authenticity and divine inspiration are anchored in the firsthand testimonies of those who walked with Jesus, witnessed His teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection. Their accounts provide compelling evidence of the Bible’s credibility and profound impact. Key Bible references reinforce the significance of these testimonies.
Eyewitness Accounts: The Gospels were written by individuals who were firsthand witnesses of Jesus’ life. John 1:14 emphasizes the Word becoming flesh, and John 21:24-25 underscores John’s role as a credible witness.
Teachings and Miracles: The Gospels record Jesus’ profound teachings and miracles witnessed by His disciples. Matthew 7:28-29 emphasizes their astonishment at His teaching’s authority.
Crucifixion and Resurrection: Eyewitnesses detail the crucifixion and resurrection. John 19:25-27 portrays Mary’s presence at the cross, while John 20:1-10 narrates the discovery of the empty tomb by Peter and John.
Thomas’ Doubt and Belief: Thomas doubted Jesus’ resurrection until he witnessed it firsthand. His transformation, from disbelief to conviction, illustrates the power of firsthand testimony (John 20:24-29).
Peter’s Denial and Restoration: Peter’s denial and later affirmation of Jesus exemplify the transformation fueled by personal experiences (Luke 22:54-62; John 21:15-19).
Eyewitnesses of the Risen Christ: Multiple eyewitnesses encountered the risen Jesus. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, provides a list of those who saw Him, validating resurrection accounts.
Apostolic Testimonies: Apostles like Peter and John boldly testified despite persecution (Acts 4:18-20). They confirmed Jesus’ resurrection as the foundation of faith (1 Peter 1:3).
Life Transformations: Eyewitnesses’ lives were profoundly changed by their encounters with Jesus. Saul’s conversion to Paul (Acts 9) demonstrates Jesus’ power to transform even adversaries.
Martyrdom for Testimony: Many died for their testimony, confirming their unshakable conviction. Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7 exemplifies the strength of their beliefs.
Early Church’s Growth: The early church’s rapid growth was fueled by firsthand testimonies of Jesus’ life, reinforcing His divinity (Acts 2:42-47).
In conclusion, the firsthand testimonies of those who witnessed Jesus’ teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection provide powerful evidence of the Bible’s authenticity and divine inspiration. Their unwavering accounts, accompanied by transformed lives and steadfast commitment, attest to the Bible’s enduring impact on faith and culture.
The accounts of First Century historians regarding the events of Jesus’ life, crucifixion, and resurrection provide valuable insights that complement the biblical narrative. While these historians didn’t focus exclusively on Jesus, their writings include references that corroborate and provide context for the events described in the Bible.
- Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD):
- Josephus, a Jewish historian, mentioned Jesus in his work “Antiquities of the Jews.” He referenced Jesus as a wise teacher and miracle worker, noting His crucifixion under Pontius Pilate.
- Tacitus (56-120 AD):
- The Roman historian Tacitus referred to Jesus’ execution under Pontius Pilate in his work “Annals,” validating the historical fact of Jesus’ crucifixion.
- Pliny the Younger (61-113 AD):
- Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor, corresponded with Emperor Trajan and mentioned early Christian practices and beliefs, including their worship of Christ as a deity.
- Suetonius (69-122 AD):
- Suetonius, a Roman historian, mentioned the expulsion of Jews from Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius due to disturbances caused by a figure named “Chrestus,” likely referring to Christ.
- Mara Bar-Serapion (1st or 2nd century AD):
- In a letter to his son, Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syrian philosopher, mentioned the unjust treatment and execution of a wise king believed by many to be a reference to Jesus.
These historical references, although brief and indirect, support key events from Jesus’ life and the early Christian movement. They validate the historical backdrop against which the biblical accounts unfold, reinforcing the credibility of the Gospel narratives.
It’s important to note that while these references are valuable, they do not provide the comprehensive detail and theological depth found in the New Testament Gospels. The combination of biblical accounts and external historical references contributes to a more holistic understanding of the context and significance of Jesus’ life, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Bible References: John 1:14, John 21:24-25, Matthew 7:28-29, John 19:25-27, John 20:1-10, John 20:24-29, Luke 22:54-62, John 21:15-19, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Acts 4:18-20, 1 Peter 1:3, Acts 9, Acts 7, Acts 2:42-47.
Is C.S. Lewis’s Liar-Lord-or-Lunatic Argument Unsound?
JUSTIN TAYLOR | FEBRUARY 1, 2016
C. S. Lewis popularized the argument that Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic or the Lord. But, as Kyle Barton has shown, he didn’t invent it.
In the mid-nineteenth century the Scottish Christian preacher “Rabbi” John Duncan (1796-1870) formulated what he called a “trilemma.” In Colloquia Peripatetica (p. 109) we see Duncan’s argument from 1859-1860, with my numbering added:
Christ either [1] deceived mankind by conscious fraud, or [2] He was Himself deluded and self-deceived, or [3] He was Divine. There is no getting out of this trilemma. It is inexorable.
In 1936, Watchman Nee made a similar argument in his book, Normal Christian Faith. A person who claims to be God must belong to one of three categories:
First, if he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a madman or a lunatic.
Second, if he is neither God nor a lunatic, he has to be a liar, deceiving others by his lie.
Third, if he is neither of these, he must be God.
You can only choose one of the three possibilities.
If you do not believe that he is God, you have to consider him a madman.
If you cannot take him for either of the two, you have to take him for a liar.
There is no need for us to prove if Jesus of Nazareth is God or not. All we have to do is find out if He is a lunatic or a liar. If He is neither, He must be the Son of God.
C. S. Lewis, speaking in 1942 (and published in Mere Christianity in 1952), gave the argument its most memorable formulation:
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. . . . Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God. (Mere Christianity, 55-56)
Is this a good argument?
The argument can be formulated as follows:
- If Jesus were not Lord, he would be a liar or a lunatic.
- Jesus was neither a liar nor a lunatic.
- Therefore, Jesus is Lord.
To determine whether this argument is sound, we have to ask three questions:
- Are the terms clear?
- Is the logic valid?
- Are the premises true?
I would give the following answers:
- Yes, the terms are clear.
- Yes, the logic is valid; premise 3 follows from premises 1 and 2 based on the rules of logic (Modus Tollens: the negation of the antecedent of premise 1 can be inferred by the negation of its consequent).
- But no, the argument is unsound, because not all of the premises are necessarily true. As William Lane Craig points out in Reasonable Faith, the first premise leaves out other possible options and is therefore false. There is another alternative: perhaps the Jesus presented in the Bible is not the true Jesus of history. The Jesus of the Bible may not be a liar or a lunatic or a Lord but rather a legend. In other words, the Jesus of the Bible is not the Jesus of history, so your claims about what must be trust about the Jesus of the Bible do not lead to conclusions about the actual lordship of the Jesus of history.
But C. S. Lewis can help with the rebuttal here.
In a 1950 essay, “What Are We to Make of Jesus?” Lewis works through some of Jesus’s startling claims about himself in Scripture, repeating his insistence that you can’t conclude that he was simply a “great moral teacher.” If what he said is true, Lewis says, then they are the sayings of a “megalomanic.”
In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion, which undermines the whole mind of man. If you think you are a poached egg, when you are not looking for a piece of toast to suit you you may be sane, but if you think you are God, there is no chance for you. We may note in passing that He was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met him. He produced mainly three effects — Hatred — Terror — Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.
It’s here that Lewis addresses the rebuttal that Jesus did not really say these things; his followers exaggerated the story and the legend grew that he really said these things. Lewis shows how unlikely it would be for the Jews to invent God become man:
This is difficult because His followers were all Jews; that is, they belonged to that Nation which of all others was most convinced that there was only one God—that there could not possibly be another. It is very odd that this horrible invention about a religious leader should grow up among the one people in the whole earth least likely to make such a mistake. On the contrary we get the impression that none of His immediate followers or even of the New Testament writers embraced the doctrine at all easily.
The other option is that the accounts of Jesus were written as legends. Here Lewis draws upon his scholarly expertise:
Now, as a literary historian, I am perfectly convinced that whatever else the Gospels are they are not legends. I have read a great deal of legend and I am quite clear that they are not the same sort of thing. They are not artistic enough to be legends. From an imaginative point of view they are clumsy, they don’t work up to things properly. Most of the life of Jesus is totally unknown to us, as is the life of anyone else who lived at that time, and no people building up a legend would allow that to be so. Apart from bits of the Platonic dialogues, there is no conversation that I know of in ancient literature like the Fourth Gospel. There is nothing, even in modern literature, until about a hundred years ago when the realistic novel came into existence.
So Lewis thinks it implausible that monotheistic Jews would have invented an incarnate Messiah and he thinks that the genre of the gospels bears none of the typical marks of legends—based upon a lifetime of scholarly and leisure reading of ancient legends. Therefore, the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus of history. And if this one Jesus were not Lord, he would be a liar or a lunatic. But he is truthful (not a liar) and sane (not a lunatic). Therefore he is Lord.
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1-48 6:1-34 7:1-28
Matthew 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Divorce
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[g]
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Giving to the Needy
Matthew 6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[j]
but deliver us from the evil one.[k]’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[l] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[m] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[n]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Judging Others
Matthew 7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Footnotes
- Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13
- Matthew 5:22 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse 23.
- Matthew 5:22 Some manuscripts brother or sister without cause
- Matthew 5:22 An Aramaic term of contempt
- Matthew 5:27 Exodus 20:14
- Matthew 5:31 Deut. 24:1
- Matthew 5:37 Or from evil
- Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21
- Matthew 5:43 Lev. 19:18
- Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
- Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
- Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
- Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
- Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height
Some Of The Miracles Of Jesus Christ
- Turning Water into Wine (John 2:1-11): Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana, demonstrating His power over nature and symbolizing the abundance of His ministry.
- Healing the Official’s Son (John 4:46-54): Jesus healed a royal official’s dying son from a distance, illustrating His authority over sickness and the importance of faith.
- Healing the Paralyzed Man (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26): Jesus forgave and healed a paralyzed man, revealing His power to heal both body and soul, and causing awe among witnesses.
- Healing the Centurion’s Servant (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10): Jesus healed the servant of a Roman centurion in response to the centurion’s faith and humility.
- Calming the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25): Jesus calmed a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee, displaying His authority over nature and prompting disciples’ amazement.
- Casting out Demons (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39): Jesus expelled demons from two men into a herd of pigs, revealing His power over spiritual forces and delivering the afflicted.
- Healing the Woman with Bleeding (Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48): Jesus healed a woman with a chronic bleeding issue, demonstrating His compassion and the power of faith.
- Raising Jairus’ Daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56): Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from death, showing His authority over life and death and restoring joy to a grieving family.
- Feeding the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15): Jesus multiplied a small amount of bread and fish to feed a large crowd, emphasizing His provision and care for His followers.
- Walking on Water (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21): Jesus walked on water during a storm, teaching His disciples about faith and His mastery over the elements.
- Healing the Blind Man (John 9:1-41): Jesus restored sight to a man born blind, illustrating His identity as the Light of the world and bringing spiritual insight.
- Feeding the Four Thousand (Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10): Jesus multiplied loaves and fish to feed another multitude, highlighting His compassion and ability to provide abundantly.
- Healing the Deaf and Mute Man (Mark 7:31-37): Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute, emphasizing His power to heal and restore wholeness.
- Healing the Blind Man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26): Jesus restored sight to a blind man in Bethsaida, illustrating the progressive nature of spiritual understanding.
- Healing the Crippled Woman (Luke 13:10-17): Jesus healed a woman bent over for eighteen years on the Sabbath, revealing His compassion and confronting legalistic attitudes.
- Healing the Man with Dropsy (Luke 14:1-6): Jesus healed a man with dropsy, showing His willingness to heal on the Sabbath and addressing hypocrisy.
- Raising Lazarus (John 11:1-44): Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after four days, showcasing His authority over death and foreshadowing His own resurrection.
- Cursing the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-25): Jesus cursed a fig tree that bore no fruit, teaching about genuine faith and the importance of forgiveness.
- Healing the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19): Jesus healed ten lepers, highlighting gratitude and the significance of faith in receiving God’s blessings.
- Restoring the Ear of the High Priest’s Servant (Luke 22:50-51): Jesus restored the ear of a servant after it was cut off during His arrest, revealing His compassion amid adversity.
- Catching a Miraculous Catch of Fish (Luke 5:1-11; John 21:1-11): Jesus guided the disciples to a miraculous catch of fish, symbolizing His calling of them as fishers of men and His provision.
Each of these miracles reveals different aspects of Jesus’ character, mission, and divine authority.
Jesus performed numerous miracles, and some general statements about His healing ministry. One such passage is:
“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” – John 20:30-31 (NIV)
This passage from the Gospel of John acknowledges that there were many more miracles performed by Jesus than those recorded in the Gospel. The Gospel writers focused on specific miracles that conveyed important messages and truths about Jesus’ identity and purpose.
The Gospel accounts do provide a significant number of miracles performed by Jesus, but they likely represent a selection that serves the broader narrative and theological themes of the Gospels. The intention was not to provide an exhaustive list of every miracle, but to present a compelling testimony of who Jesus is and what His ministry accomplished.
Grace to You :: esp Unleashing God’s Truth, One Verse at a Time
You Can Trust the Bible (Booklet) Scripture: Psalm 19
Code: 45TRUST
Click here to purchase this as a booklet.
We live in a world that, for the most part, has no absolute standard for life and behavior. We are under a system of morality by majority vote—in other words, whatever feels right sets the standard for behavior.
That philosophy, however, runs contrary to everything we know about our world. For example, in science there are absolutes. Our entire universe is built on fixed laws. We can send satellites and other spacecraft into space and accurately predict their behavior. Science—whether biology, botany, physiology, astronomy, mathematics, or engineering—is controlled by unalterable and inviolable laws.
Yet in the moral world many people want to live without laws or absolutes. They try to determine their points of reference from their own minds. However, that is impossible. When we move from the physical to the spiritual realm, fixed laws still exist. We cannot exist without laws in the moral and spiritual dimensions of life any more than we can do so in the physical dimension. Our Creator built morality into life. Just as there are physical laws, so there are spiritual laws. Let me give you an example.
People have asked me whether I believe that AIDS is the judgment of God. My response is that AIDS is the judgment of God in the same sense that cirrhosis of the liver is the judgment of God or that emphysema is the judgment of God. If you drink alcohol, you’re liable to get cirrhosis of the liver. If you smoke, you’re liable to get emphysema or heart disease. And if you choose to violate God’s standards for morality, you’re likely to contract venereal disease—even AIDS. It is a law that the Bible describes in terms of sowing and reaping.
We can explain this principle in another illustration. Gravity is a fixed law. You may choose not to believe in gravity, but regardless of what you choose to believe, if you jump off a building you’ll fall to the ground. You don’t have an option. It’s not a question of what you believe; it’s a question of law.
The law will go into effect when you put it to the test. That is true in any other area of physical law.
The same thing is true in the moral and spiritual dimension. To segment life into a physical dimension in which fixed laws cannot be violated and a moral or spiritual dimension in which laws can be violated is an impossible dichotomization. The same God who controls the physical world by fixed laws controls the moral and spiritual world.
Where, then, do you find the laws of morality? How do you determine what is right and what is wrong? Has our Creator revealed such standards to mankind in a way we can understand?
The Bible claims to be the revelation of God to man. Although I have spent many years of my life studying the Bible, I wasn’t always committed to it. That commitment developed after my freshman year in college, when I came to grips with my life and future and wanted to know the source of truth. I discovered several compelling reasons for believing that the Bible is God’s Word. Five basic areas, which go from the lesser to the greater, help prove its authenticity.
The Authenticity of the Bible Experience
First, the Bible is true because it gives us the experience it claims it will. For example, the Bible says God will forgive our sin (1 John 1:9). I believe that, and I can truly say that I have a sense of freedom from guilt. The Bible also says that “if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ). That’s what happened to me when I came to Jesus Christ. The Bible changes lives. Someone has said that a Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t. That’s true because the Bible can put lives together.
Millions of people all over the world are living proof that that is true. Maybe you know one or two of them. They’ve experienced the Bible’s power.
That’s an acceptable argument in one sense, but it’s weak in another. If you base everything you believe on experience, you’re going to run into trouble. Followers of Muhammad, Buddha, and Hare Krishna can point to various experiences as the basis for their beliefs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that their beliefs are correct. So although experience can help validate the power and authority of the Bible, we will need more evidence.
Science
The Bible also presents a most plausible, objective understanding of the universe and the existence of life. It presents a God who creates. That makes more sense than believing that everything came out of nothing, which is essentially what the theory of evolution says. I have an easier time assuming that someone produced everything. And the Bible tells me who that someone is: God.
The study of creation helps explain how the earth’s geology became the way it is. The Bible tells of a supernatural creation that took place in six days and of a catastrophic worldwide flood. These two events help explain many geological and other scientific questions, some of which we will soon explore.
You will find that the Bible is accurate when it intersects with modern scientific concepts. For example, Isaiah 40:26 says it is God who creates the universe. He holds the stars together by His power and not one of them is ever missing. In this way the Bible suggests the first law of thermodynamics—that ultimately nothing is ever destroyed.
We read in Ecclesiastes 1:10: “Is there anything of which one might say, ‘See this, it is new’?” The answer immediately follows: “Already it has existed for ages which were before us.” Ancient writers of the Bible, thousands of years before the laws of thermodynamics had been categorically stated, were affirming the conservation of mass and energy.
The second law of thermodynamics states that although mass and energy are always conserved, they nevertheless are breaking down and going from order to disorder, from cosmos to chaos, from system to non-system. The Bible, contrary to the theory of evolution, affirms that. As matter breaks down and energy dissipates, ultimately the world and universe as we know it will become dead. It will be unable to reproduce itself. Romans 8 says that all creation groans because of its curse, which is described at the beginning of the Bible (Genesis 3). That curse—and God’s plan to reverse the curse—is reflected throughout biblical teaching.
The science of hydrology studies the cycle of water, which consists of three major phases: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Clouds move over the land and drop water through precipitation. The rain runs into creeks, the creeks run into streams, the streams run into the sea, and the evaporation process takes place all the way along the path. That same process is described in Scripture. Ecclesiastes 1 and Isaiah 55 present the entire water cycle: “All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again” (Ecclesiastes 1:7). “For . . . the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth” (Isaiah 55:10). Also, Job 36:27-28 speaks of evaporation and condensation—centuries prior to any scientific discovery of the process: “He [God] draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist, which the clouds pour down, they drip upon man abundantly.”
In the 1500s, when Copernicus first presented the idea that the earth was in motion, people were astounded. They previously believed that the earth was a flat disc and that if you went through the Pillars of Hercules at the Rock of Gibraltar you’d fall off the edge. In the seventeenth century, men like Kepler and Galileo gave birth to modern astronomy. Prior to that, the universe was generally thought to contain only about one thousand stars, which was the number that had been counted.
However, in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the number of the stars of heaven is equated with the number of grains of sand on the seashore. God told Abraham, “I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore” ( 22:17 ). Jeremiah 33:22 says that the stars can’t be counted. Again God is speaking: “As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David.” Today several million stars have been cataloged, though hundreds of millions remain unlisted.
The oldest book in the Bible, the Book of Job, pre-dates Christ by about two thousand years. Yet Job 26:7 says, “He hangs the earth on nothing.” In the sacred books of other religions you may read that the earth is on the backs of elephants that produce earthquakes when they shake. The cosmogony of Greek mythology is at about the same level of sophistication. But the Bible is in a completely different class. It says, “He . . . hangs the earth on nothing” (emphasis added).
Job also says that the earth is “turned like the clay to the seal” (38:14, KJV*). In those days, soft clay was used for writing and a seal was used for applying one’s signature. One kind of seal was a hollow cylinder of hardened clay with a signature raised on it. A stick went through it so that it could be rolled like a rolling pin. The writer could, therefore, roll his signature across the soft clay and in that way sign his name. In saying the earth is turned like the clay to the seal, Job may have implied that it rotates on its axis. The Hebrew word translated “earth” (hug) refers to a sphere.
It’s also interesting to note that the earth maintains a perfect balance. If you’ve ever seen a basketball that’s out of balance, you know that it rotates unevenly. You can imagine what would happen if the earth were like that. The earth is a perfect sphere, and it is perfectly balanced. The depths of the sea have to be balanced with the height of the mountains. The branch of science that studies that balance is called isostasy. In Isaiah 40:12, centuries before science even conceived of this phenomenon, Isaiah said that God “has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales.”
English philosopher Herbert Spencer, who died in 1903, was famous for applying scientific discoveries to philosophy. He listed five knowable categories in the natural sciences: time, force, motion, space, and matter. However, Genesis 1:1, the first verse in the Bible, says, “In the beginning [time] God [force] created [motion] the heavens [space] and the earth [matter].” God laid it all out in the very first verse of Scripture.
The Bible truly is the revelation of God to mankind. He wants us to know about Him and the world He created. Although the Bible does not contain scientific terminology, it is amazingly accurate whenever it happens to refer to scientific truth. But someone might say, “Wait a minute. The Old Testament says that the sun once stood still, and if that happened, the sun didn’t really stand still; the earth stopped revolving.” Yes, but that statement is based on the perception of someone on earth.
When you got up this morning, you didn’t look east and say, “What a lovely earth rotation!” From your perspective, you saw a sunrise. And because you permit yourself to do that, you must permit Scripture to do that as well.
Miracles
A third evidence for the authenticity of the Bible is its miracles. We would expect to read of those in a revelation from God Himself, who by definition is supernatural. Miracles are a supernatural alteration of the natural world—a great way to get man’s attention.
The Bible includes supportive information to establish the credibility of the miracles it records. For example, Scripture says that after Jesus had risen from the dead more than five hundred people saw Him alive (1 Corinthians 15:6). That would be enough witnesses to convince any jury. The miraculous nature of the Bible demonstrates the involvement of God. But to believe the miracles, we must take the Bible at its word. So to further validate its authenticity we must take another step and consider its incredible ability to predict the future.
Prophecy
There is no way to explain the Bible’s ability to predict the future unless we see God as its Author. For example, the Old Testament contains more than three hundred references to the Messiah of Israel that were precisely fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah).
Peter Stoner, a scientist in the area of mathematical probabilities, said in his book Science Speaks that if we take just eight of the Old Testament prophecies Christ fulfilled, we find that the probability of their coming to pass is one in 1017. He illustrates that staggering amount this way:
We take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas . They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly. Blindfold a man and tell him he must pick up one silver dollar. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them come true in any one man. ([ Chicago : Moody, 1963], 100-107)
And Jesus fulfilled hundreds more than just eight prophecies! The Bible includes many other prophecies as well. For example, the Bible predicted that a man named Cyrus would be born, would rise to power in the Middle East, and would release the Jewish people from captivity (Isaiah 44:28—45:7). Approximately 150 years later, Cyrus the Great became king of Persia and released the Jews. No man could have known that would happen; only God could.
In Ezekiel 26 God says through the prophet that the Phoenician city of Tyre would be destroyed, specifying that a conqueror would come in and wipe out the city. He said that the city would be scraped clean and that the rubble left on the city’s surface would be thrown into the ocean. The prophecy ended by saying that men would dry their fishnets there and that the city would never be rebuilt.
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon laid siege to Tyre three years after the prophecy was given. When he broke down the gates, he found the city almost empty. The Phoenicians were navigators and colonizers of the ancient world; they had taken their boats and sailed to an island a half mile offshore. They had reestablished their city on the island during the years of siege. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city on the mainland, but since he didn’t have a navy, he was unable to do anything about the island city of Tyre. This left the prophecy partially unfulfilled.
About 250 years later Alexander the Great came into the area of Tyre needing supplies for his eastern campaign. He sent word to the residents of the island city, but they refused his request. They believed they were safe from attack on the island. Alexander was so infuriated at their response that he and his army picked up the rubble that was left from Nebuchadnezzar’s devastation of the mainland city and threw it into the sea. They used it to build a causeway, which allowed them to march to the island and destroy the city. That exactly fulfilled what Ezekiel had predicted hundreds of years previously.
If you travel to the site of Tyre today, you’ll see fishermen there drying their nets. The city was never rebuilt. Peter Stoner said that the probability of all the details of that prophecy happening by chance is one in 75million.
The Assyrian city of Nineveh is another example. It was one of the most formidable ancient cities, which reached its apex during the seventh century b.c. Yet the prophet Nahum predicted that it would soon be wiped out. He said an overflowing river would crush the gates and that the city would be destroyed (Nahum 1:8; 2:6).
In those days when people walled in their cities, they tended to build gates down into the rivers nearby. The water could flow through the bars of the gates and keep out intruders. In the case of Nineveh, a great storm came and flooded the river, carrying away a vital part of the city walls. That permitted besieging Medes and Babylonians to enter the city and destroy it, just as the prophet predicted.
The Life of Christ
Additional evidence for the authenticity of the Bible is Christ Himself. As we have already seen, He fulfilled many detailed prophecies and did many miracles. It is important to note that He also believed in the authority of the Bible. In Matthew 5:18 He says, “Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.”
If you would like to read more about the life of Christ and other evidences for the Bible’s reliability, try Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell (Here’s Life Publishers). The Power of the Bible
The Bible is an amazing book. It’s amazing in that it stands up to many tests of authenticity. But beyond that, it’s particularly amazing when looked at from a spiritual and moral perspective.
The Bible claims to be alive and powerful. That’s a tremendous statement. I have never read any other living book. There are some books that change your thinking, but this is the only book that can change your nature. This is the only book that can totally transform you from the inside out.
There’s a section in Psalm 19 that is Scripture’s own testimony to itself. This is what it says:
-The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
-The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
-The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
-The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
-The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
-The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. (vv. 7-9) Let’s look at each aspect separately.
The Bible Is “Perfect”
First, “the law of the Lord” is a Hebrew term used to define Scripture. Psalm 19 specifies that it is “perfect”—a comprehensive treatment of truth that is able to transform the soul. The Hebrew word translated “soul”(nepesh) refers to the total person. It means the real you—not your body but what is inside. So the truths in Scripture can totally transform a person.
You may say, “I’m not interested in being transformed.” Then you probably aren’t interested in the Bible. The Bible is for people who have some sense of desperation about where they are. It is for people who don’t have the purpose in their lives they wish they had. They’re not sure where they are, where they came from, or where they’re going. There are things in their lives they wish they could change. They wish they weren’t driven by passions they can’t control; that they weren’t victims of circumstance; that they didn’t have so much pain in life; that their relationships were all they ought to be; that they could think more clearly about things that matter in their lives. That’s who this book is for: people who don’t have all the answers and who want something better.
The Bible says that the key to this transformation is the Lord Jesus Christ. God came into the world in the form of Christ. He died on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, and rose again to conquer death. He now lives and comes into the lives of those who acknowledge Him as their Lord and Savior, transforming them into the people God means for them to be. If you’re content with the way you are, you’re not going to look to the Word of God for a way to change. But if you’re aware of your guilt, if you want to get rid of your anxiety and the patterns of life that desperately need to be changed, if you have some emptiness in your heart, if there’s some longing that has never been satisfied, and if there are some answers you just can’t seem to find, then you’re just the person who needs to look into the Word of God to determine if it can do what it says it can. It can transform you completely through the power of Christ, the One who died and rose again for you.
The Bible Is “Sure”
Second, Psalm 19 says that the Scripture is “sure”—absolute, trustworthy, reliable—”making wise the simple.” The Hebrew word translated “simple” comes from a root that speaks of an open door. Ancient Jewish people described a person with a simple mind as someone with a head like an open door: everything comes in; everything goes out. He doesn’t know what to keep out and what to keep in. He’s indiscriminate, totally naive, and unable to evaluate truth. He doesn’t have any standards by which to make a judgment.
The Bible says it is able to make such a person wise. Wisdom to the Jew was the skill of daily living. To the Greek it was sheer sophistry—an abstraction. So when the Hebrew text says it can make a simple person wise, it means it can take the uninitiated, naive, uninstructed, undiscerning person and make him skilled in every aspect of daily living.
The Bible touches every area of life, including relationships, marriage, the work ethic, and factors of the human mind and motivation. It tells you about attitudes, reactions, responses, how to treat people, how you’re to be treated by people, how to cultivate virtue in your life—every aspect of living is covered in the pages of the Bible.
How does the Bible transform one’s life? It does so when you read it and Commit your life to Jesus Christ, the Teacher and the Author of Scripture. He comes to live in you and applies the truth of the Word to your life.
The Bible Is “Right”
Third, the Word of God—called “the precepts of the Lord—is right. In Hebrew, that means it sets out a right path or lays out a right track. And the result is joy to the heart.
I look back at times in my own life when I didn’t know what direction to go, what my future was, or what my career ought to be. Then I began to study God’s Word and submit myself to His Spirit. Then God laid out the path for me. As I’ve walked in that path, I’ve experienced joy, happiness, and blessing. In fact, I find so much satisfaction in life that people sometimes believe something’s wrong with me. Even difficulty brings satisfaction, because it creates a way in which God can show Himself faithful. Even unhappiness is a source of happiness. In John 16, Jesus compares the disciples’ sorrow at His leaving to the pain of a woman having a baby. There’s joy through any circumstance. I know you want a happy life. I know you want peace, joy, meaning, and purpose. I know you want the fullness of life that everybody seeks. The Bible says, “[Happy] are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28). Why? Because God blesses their faithfulness and obedience. You can have a happy life without sin, without sex outside of marriage, without drugs, and without alcohol.
God is not a cosmic killjoy. He made you. He knows how you operate best. And He knows what makes you happy. The happiness He gives doesn’t stop when the party’s over. It lasts because it comes from deep within.
The Bible Is “Pure”
Fourth, the psalmist says the Word of God is pure, enlightening the eyes. The simplest Christian knows a lot of things that many scholarly people don’t know. Because I know the Bible, some things are clear to me that aren’t clear to others.
The autobiography of English philosopher Bertrand Russell, written near the end of his life, implies that philosophy was something of a washout to him. That’s shocking. He spent his life musing on reality, but was not able to define it. I don’t believe I’m Russell’s equal intellectually, but I do know the Word of God. Scripture enlightens the eyes, particularly concerning the dark things of life, such as death, disease, tragic events, and the devastation of the world. Scripture deals with the tough issues of life.
I can go to a Christian who is facing death and see joy in his heart. My grandmother died when she was ninety-three years old. She was lying in bed, and the nurse told her it was time to get up. My grandmother said, “No, I’m not getting up today.” When the nurse asked why, my grandmother said, “I love Jesus, and I’m going to heaven today, so don’t bother me.” Then she smiled and went to heaven.
Do you have that kind of hope?
When I was a boy I used to go to Christ Church in Philadelphia and read epitaphs written about Americans who have had a great impact on our country. Benjamin Franklin wrote his own epitaph:
The body of Benjamin Franklin, printer, (Like the cover of an old book, Its contents worn out And stript of its lettering and gilding) Lies here, food for worms! Yet the work itself shall not be lost, For it will, as he believed, appear once more In a new and more beautiful edition, Corrected and amended By its Author!
Can you look death in the eye and say, “This is not the end; it is but the beginning for me”? What can you say to someone who loses a child? What can you say to someone who loses a spouse to cancer or heart disease? Are you roaming around in the confusion in which many people find themselves?
Where do you go for the dark things to be made clear? I go to the Word of God, and I find clarity there.
The Bible Is “Clean”
Further, Psalm 19:9 says that the Word of God is “clean, enduring forever.” The only things that last forever are things untouched by the devastation of evil—another word for sin. The word of God is clean. It describes and uncovers sin, but it is untouched by evil. And even though it is an ancient document, every person in every situation in every society can find timeless truth in this book. Here’s a book that never needs another edition because it’s never out of date or obsolete. It speaks to us as pointedly and directly as it ever has to anyone in history. It’s so pure that it lasts forever.
When I was in college I studied philosophy. Almost every philosophy I studied was long dead. I also studied psychology. Almost every form of psychotherapy I read about is now obsolete or has been replaced by more progressive thinking. But there’s one thing that never changes, and that is the eternal Word of God. It is always relevant.
The Bible Is “True”
Finally, and most pointedly, Psalm 19:9 says that the Word of God is true. Today it seems there’s no longer a premium on truth. But that was true even in Jesus’ day. Pilate, when he sent Jesus to the cross, said, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). The context makes clear that he was being cynical.
I remember meeting a young man on drugs who was living in an overturned refrigerator box by a stream in the mountains of northern California . I was hiking through the area and asked if I could introduce myself. We talked a little while. It turned out he was a graduate of Boston University . He said, “I’ve escaped.” I asked, “Have you found the answers?” “No,” he said, “but at least I’ve gotten myself into a situation where I don’t ask the questions.” That’s the despair of not knowing the truth.
Scripture describes some people as “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). That’s not referring to intellectual truth; it’s referring to the truth of life, death, God, man, sin, right, wrong, heaven, hell, hope, joy, and peace. People can’t find it on their own.
What Is Truth?
To look at things philosophically, we live in a time-space box we can’t get out of. We cannot go into a phone booth and come out Superman—we cannot transcend the natural world. We are locked into a time-space continuum.
And we bounce around in our little box trying to figure out God. We invent religions, but they’re self- contained. The only way we’ll ever know what is beyond us is if what is on the outside comes in. And that’s exactly what the Bible claims. It’s a supernatural revelation from God, who has invaded our box. And He invaded it not only through the written word, but also in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel Nausea lays out an existential view of life. Its main character, Antoine Roquentin, is horrified by his own existence. He tries to find meaning in life through sex, humanitarianism, and other avenues but is left with a nauseating feeling of meaninglessness, never really finding genuine answers.
Where do you find truth that eluded Roquentin? I believe it is in the Word of God, the Bible. Consider its attributes.
The Attributes of the Bible
The Bible Is Infallible and Inerrant
The Bible, in its entirety, has no mistakes. It is flawless because God wrote it—and He is flawless. It is not only infallible in total, but also inerrant in its parts. Proverbs 30:5-6 says, “Every word of God is tested. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” Every word
of God is pure and true. The Bible is the only book that never makes a mistake—everything it says is the truth.
The Bible Is Complete
Nothing needs to be added to the Bible. It is complete. Some today say the Bible is incomplete and simply a product of its time—a comment on man’s spiritual experience in history—and that we now need something else. Some believe that preachers who say, “The Lord told me this or that,” are equally inspired, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or any of the other prophets. That is essentially to say that the Bible is not complete. However, the last book of the Bible, Revelation, warns, “If anyone adds to [the words of this book], God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22: 18-19).
The Bible Is Authoritative
Since the Bible is perfect and complete, it is the last Word—the final authority. Isaiah 1:2 says, “Listen, Oh heavens, and hear, Oh earth; for the Lord speaks.” When God speaks, we should listen, because He is the final authority. The Bible demands obedience.
John 8:30-31 reports that many of the people Jesus preached to came to believe in Him. Jesus said to them, “If you continue in My word, then are you are truly disciples of Mine.” In other words, He demanded a response to His word. It is authoritative. Galatians 3:10 says, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” That’s a tremendous claim to absolute authority. In James 2:10 we read, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” To violate the Bible at one point is to break God’s entire law. That’s because the Bible is authoritative in every part.
The Bible Is Sufficient
The Bible is sufficient for a number of essentials:
Salvation . Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Salvation is the greatest reality in the universe—and the Bible reveals the source of that salvation. Acts 4:12 says regarding Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Instruction . Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” The Bible can take those who don’t know God and introduce them to Him. Then it will teach them, reprove them when they do wrong, point them to what is right, and show them how to walk in that right path.
Hope . Romans 15:4 says “Whatever was written in earlier times [a reference to the Old Testament] was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” The Bible is a source of encouragement, giving us hope now and forever.
Happiness . James 1:25 reveals the key to happiness: “One who looks intently at [Scripture], and abides by it . . . this man will be [happy] in what he does.” Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible, devotes all 176 verses to describing the Word of God. It begins, “How [happy] are those who walk in the law of the Lord.”
How Will You Respond?
Your response to the Bible determines the course of your life and your eternal destiny. First Corinthians 2:9 says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (NIV). Man could never conceive of all that God has to offer on his own!
Every time we pick up the Bible, we pick up the truth. Jesus said, “If you continue in My word . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32). What did He mean by that?
Think of the person who is working diligently on a math problem. As soon as he finds the answer—he’s free. Or consider the scientist in the lab pouring different solutions into test tubes. He stays with it until he says, “Eureka, I found it!”—then he’s free. Man will search and struggle and grapple and grope for the truth until he finds it. Only then is he free. The Bible is our source of truth—about God, man, life, death, men, women, children, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, friends, and enemies. It shows us how to live. The Bible is the source of everything you need to know about life on earth and the life to come. You can trust the Bible. It is God’s living Word.
Copyright 1988 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations, unless noted otherwise, are from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1977 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission. Adapted from How to Study the Bible, by John MacArthur (Moody Press, 1982).
Available online at: http://www.gty.org
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Here are Bible references for 50 reasons to believe we are in the Bible’s End Times or Last Days:
1. Increase in natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:12-14
2. Wars and conflicts happening worldwide.
– Matthew 24:6-7
– Revelation 6:4
3. Advances in technology and the ability to track and control individuals.
– Revelation 13:16-17
4. Global economic instability and the rise of a cashless society.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Revelation 18:11-13
5. Rise of false prophets and the spread of false teachings.
– Matthew 24:11
– 1 Timothy 4:1
6. Persecution of Christians and religious intolerance.
– Matthew 24:9
– 2 Timothy 3:12
7. Rise of terrorism and extremist ideologies.
– Matthew 24:6
– Revelation 6:8
8. Increase in immorality, including sexual immorality and the acceptance of alternative lifestyles.
– Romans 1:26-27
– 2 Timothy 3:1-5
9. Prevalence of drug abuse and addiction.
– Galatians 5:19-21
– Revelation 9:21
10. Breakdown of the traditional family structure.
– 2 Timothy 3:2-4
– Matthew 10:34-36
11. Rise of globalism and the push for a one-world government.
– Revelation 13:7
– Daniel 7:23
12. Widespread corruption and dishonesty in politics and business.
– Isaiah 59:14
– Micah 7:3
13. Increased focus on materialism and consumerism.
– Matthew 6:19-21
– 2 Timothy 3:2
14. Deception and manipulation through mass media and social media.
– 2 Timothy 3:13
– Ephesians 4:14
15. Abandonment of biblical principles and the rejection of God’s laws.
– 2 Timothy 4:3-4
– Isaiah 5:20
16. Increase in occult practices and the popularity of the supernatural.
– Deuteronomy 18:9-12
– Revelation 21:8
17. Signs in the heavens, such as blood moons and celestial alignments.
– Joel 2:30-31
– Luke 21:25-26
18. Rise of apostasy within the church.
– 2 Thessalonians 2:3
– 1 Timothy 4:1
19. Emergence of new diseases and pandemics.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:8
20. Israel’s existence as a nation and conflicts in the Middle East.
– Ezekiel 37:21-22
– Zechariah 12:2-3
21. The rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
– Daniel 9:27
– 2 Thessalonians 2:4
22. Increase in knowledge and the rapid spread of information.
– Daniel 12:4
– 2 Timothy 3:7
23. Rise of atheism and the rejection of faith.
– Psalm 14:1
– 2 Peter 3:3
24. Persecution and martyrdom of Christians in various parts of the world.
– Matthew 24:9
– Revelation 6:9-11
25. Rise of the antichrist figure and his influence on world events.
– 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
– Revelation 13:1-8
26. Famine and food shortages in different regions.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:5-6
27. Disregard for human life, including abortion and euthanasia.
– Jeremiah 1:5
– Exodus 20:13
28. Division and polarization in society.
– Matthew 10:35-36
– 2 Timothy 3:4
29. Rejection of traditional values and moral relativism.
– Isaiah 5:20
– Romans 1:22-23
30. Increase in occult practices and the popularity of witchcraft.
– Leviticus 19:31
– Galatians 5:19-20
31. Signs in the sky, such as unusual celestial phenomena.
– Luke 21:25
– Acts 2:19-20
32. Increase in lawlessness and disregard for authority.
– 2 Timothy 3:1-5
– Matthew 24:12
33. Global unrest and civil wars.
– Matthew 24:6
– Revelation 6:4
34. Rise of religious syncretism and the blending of different faiths.
– Matthew 24:4-5
– 1 Timothy 4:1
35. Intensification of natural disasters and extreme weather events.
– Matthew 24:7
– Luke 21:25-26
36. Spread of false gospels and spiritual deception.
– 2 Corinthians 11:4
– 2 Timothy 4:3-4
37. Increase in knowledge of biblical prophecy and its fulfillment.
– Daniel 12:4
– Matthew 24:32-33
38. Rise of artificial intelligence and potential for a technological “beast” system.
– Revelation 13:15-17
– Daniel 12:4
39. Push for global surveillance and control.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Revelation 14:9-11
40. Rise of the European Union and its potential role in end-time events.
– Daniel 2:41-43
– Revelation 17:12-14
41. Threat of nuclear warfare and the development of advanced weapons.
– Matthew 24:22
– Revelation 8:7
42. Increase in seismic activity and volcanic eruptions.
– Matthew 24:7
– Revelation 6:12-14
43. Signs of moral decay and the normalization of sin.
– 2 Timothy 3:2-4
– Romans 1:26-27
44. Decline in religious freedom and the marginalization of believers.
– Matthew 24:9
– 2 Timothy 3:12
45. Loss of privacy and invasion of personal liberties.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Daniel 12:4
46. Rise of a global surveillance state.
– Revelation 13:16-17
– Revelation 14:9-11
47. Disintegration of social institutions and breakdown of societal norms.
– Isaiah 3:5
– 2 Timothy 3:1-5
48. Increase in global travel and interconnectedness.
– Daniel 12:4
– Revelation 11:9-10
49. The rise of apocalyptic cults and doomsday predictions.
– Matthew 24:4-5
– 2 Timothy 4:3-4
50. Personal experiences and perceived signs and revelations from God.
– Matthew 24:36
– Mark 13:32
These Bible references provide relevant passages that are often interpreted as indicating signs of the End Times or Last Days. It’s important to note that interpretations may vary among different individuals and religious groups.
20 reasons we are in the end of The End Times
1. Increase in natural disasters (Matthew 24:7-8)
2. Wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6-7)
3. Increase in knowledge and travel (Daniel 12:4)
4. Increase in lawlessness (Matthew 24:12)
5. Rise of false prophets and false Christ’s (Matthew 24:24)
6. Persecution of Christians (Matthew 24:9)
7. Increase in sexual immorality (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
8. Increase in idolatry (Revelation 9:20-21)
9. Signs in the sun, moon, and stars (Luke 21:25-26)
10. Increase in wickedness (Matthew 24:12)
11. Increase in earthquakes (Matthew 24:7)
12. Increase in famines (Matthew 24:7)
13. Increase in pestilences (Luke 21:11)
14. Increase in people who deny the existence of God
(2 Peter 3:3-4)
15. Increase in violence (Genesis 6:11-13)
16. One-world government and one-world religion (Revelation 13:7-8)
17. Mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17)
18. Apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
19. Increase in the love of money (2 Timothy 3:2)
20. Israel becoming a nation again (Ezekiel 37:21-22)
365 PROPHECIES FULFILLED BY JESUS
| # | Prophecy | Description | Fulfillment |
| 1 | Genesis 3:15 | Seed of a woman (virgin birth) | Luke 1:35 Matthew 1:18-20 |
| 2 | Genesis 3:15 | He will bruise Satan’s head | Hebrews 2:14 |
| 3 | Genesis 5:24 | The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated | Mark 6:19 |
| 4 | Genesis 9:26-27 | The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem | Luke 3:36 |
| 5 | Genesis 12:3 | As Abraham’s seed will bless all nations | Acts 3:25-26 |
| 6 | Genesis 12:7 | The Promise made made to Abraham’s Seed | Galatians 3:16 |
| 7 | Genesis 14:18 | A priest after Melchizedek | Hebrews 6:20 |
| 8 | Genesis 14:18 | A King also | Hebrews 7:2 |
| 9 | Genesis 14:18 | The Last Supper foreshadowed | Matthew 26:26-29 |
| 10 | Genesis 17:19 | The Seed of Isaac | Romans 9:7 |
| 11 | Genesis 21:1 | Seed of Isaac | Romans 9:7 Hebrews 11:18 |
| 12 | Genesis 22:8 | The Lamb of God promised | John 1:29 |
| 13 | Genesis 22:18 | As Isaac’s seed will bless all nations | Galatians 3:16 |
|
14 |
|
The Seed of Isaac promised as the Redeemer |
|
| 15 | Genesis 49:10 | The time of His coming | Luke 2:1-7 Galatians 4:4 |
| 16 | Genesis 49:10 | The Seed of Judah | Luke 3:33 |
| 17 | Genesis 49:10 | Called Shiloh or One Sent | John 17:3 |
| 18 | Genesis 49:10 | To come before Judah lost identity | John 11:47-52 |
|
19 |
|
To Him shall the obedience of the people be |
|
| 20 | Exodus 3:13, 14 | The Great “I Am” | John 4:26 |
| 21 | Exodus 12:5 | A Lamb without blemish | 1 Peter 1:19 |
| 22 | Exodus 12:13 | The blood of the Lamb saves Romans wrath | Romans 5:8 |
| 23 | Exodus 12:21-27 | Christ is our Passover | 1 Corinthians 5:7 |
| 24 | Exodus 12:46 | Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken | John 19:31-36 |
| 25 | Exodus 13:2 | Blessing to first born son | Luke 2:23 |
| 26 | Exodus 15:2 | His exaltation predicted as Yeshua | Acts 7:55-56 |
| 27 | Exodus 15:11 | His Character-Holiness | Luke 1:35; Acts 4:27 |
| 28 | Exodus 17:6 | The Spiritual Rock of Israel | 1 Corinthians 10:4 |
| 29 | Exodus 33:19 | His Character-Merciful | Luke 1:72 |
| 30 | Leviticus 14:11 | The leper cleansed-Sign to priesthood | Luke 5:12-14; Acts 6:7 |
| 31 | Leviticus 16:15-17 | Prefigures Christ’s once- for-all death | Hebrews 9:7-14 |
| 32 | Leviticus 16:27 | Suffering outside the Camp | Matthew 27:33 Hebrews 13:11-12 |
| 33 | Leviticus 17:11 | The Blood-the life of the flesh | Matthew 26:28; Mark 10:45 |
| 34 | Leviticus 17:11 | It is the blood that makes atonement | 1 John 3:14-18 |
| 35 | Leviticus 23:36-37 | The Drink-offering: “If any man thirst” | John 19:31-36 |
| 36 | Numbers 9:12 | Not a bone of Him broken | John 19:31-36 |
| 37 | Numbers 21:9 | The serpent on a pole- Christ lifted up | John 3:14-18 |
| 38 | Numbers 24:8 | Flight to Egypt | Matthew 2:14 |
| 39 | Numbers 24:17 |
Time: “I shall see him, but not now” |
Galatians 4:4 |
| 40 | Numbers 24:17-19 | A star out of Jacob | Matthew 2:2 Luke 1:33 Revelation 22:16 |
| 41 | Deuteronomy 18:15 | “This is of a truth that prophet” | John 6:14 |
| 42 | Deuteronomy 18:15-16 | “Had ye believed Moses ye would believe me.” | John 5:45-47 |
| 43 | Deuteronomy 18:18 | Sent by the Father to speak His word | John 8:28-29 |
| 44 | Deuteronomy 18:19 | Whoever will not hear must bear his sin | John 12:15 |
| 45 | Deuteronomy 21:13 | As a prophet | John 6:14 John 7:40 Acts 3:22-23 |
| 46 | Deuteronomy 21:23 | Cursed is he that hangs on a tree | Galatians 3:10-13 |
| 47 | Ruth 4:4-9 | “Christ our kinsman has redeemed us” | Ephesians 1:3-7 |
| 48 | 1 Samuel 2:10 | Shall be an anointed King to the Lord | Matthew 28:18 John 12:15 |
| 49 | 2 Samuel 7:12 | David’s Seed | Matthew 1:1 |
| 50 | 2 Samuel 7:14 | The Son of God | Luke 1:32 |
| 51 | 2 Samuel 7:16 | David’s house established forever | Luke 3:31 Rev 22:16 |
| 52 | 2 Samuel 23:2 | would be the “Rock | 1 Corinthians 10:4 |
| 53 | 2 Samuel 23:2 | would be as the “light of the morning | Revelation 22:16 |
| 54 | 2 Kings 2:11 | The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated | Luke 24:51 |
| 55 | 1 Chronicles 17:11 | David’s Seed | Matthew 1:1; 9:27 |
| 56 | 1 Chronicles 17:12, 13 | To reign on David’s throne forever | Luke 1:32-33 |
| 57 | 1 Chronicles 17:13 | “I will be His Father, He my Son” | Hebrews 1:5 |
| 58 | Job 19:23-27 | The Resurrection predicted | John 5:24-29 |
| 59 | Psalms 2:1-3 | The enmity of kings foreordained | Acts 4:25-28 |
| 60 | Psalms 2:2 | To own the title Anointed (Christ) | Acts 2:36 |
| 61 | Psalms 2:6 | His Character-Holiness | John 8:46 Rev 3:7 |
| 62 | Psalms 2:6 | To own the title King | Matthew 2:2 |
| 63 | Psalms 2:7 | Declared the Beloved Son | Matthew 3:17 |
| 64 | Psalms 2:7-8 | The Crucifixion and Resurrection intimated | Acts 13:29-33 |
| 65 | Psalms 2:12 | Life comes through faith in Him | John 20:31 |
| 66 | Psalms 8:2 | The mouths of babes perfect His praise | Matthew 21:16 |
| 67 | Psalms 8:5, 6 | His humiliation and exaltation | Luke 24:50-53 1 Corinthians 15:27 |
| 68 | Psalms 16:10 | Was not to see corruption | Acts 2:31 |
| 69 | Psalms 16:9-11 | Was to arise from the dead | John 20:9 |
| 70 | Psalms 17:15 | The resurrection predicted | Luke 24:6 |
| 71 | Psalms 22:1 | Forsaken because of sins of others | 2 Corinthians 5:21 |
| 72 | Psalms 22:1 | Words spoken from Calvary “My God” | Mark 15:34 |
| 73 | Psalms 22:2 | Darkness upon Calvary | Matthew 27:45 |
| 74 | Psalms 22:7 | They shoot out the lip and shake the head | Matthew 27:39 |
| 75 | Psalms 22:8 | ” He trusted in God let Him deliver Him” | Matthew 27:43 |
| 76 | Psalms 22:9 | Born the Savior | Luke 2:7 |
| 77 | Psalms 22:14 | Died of a broken (ruptured) heart | John 19:34 |
| 78 | Psalms 22:14-15 | Suffered agony on Calvary | Mark 15:34-37 |
| 79 | Psalms 22:15 | He thirsted | John 19:28 |
| 80 | Psalms 22:16 | They pierced His hands and His feet | John 19:34 37 20:27 |
| 81 | Psalms 22:17-18 | Stripped Him before the stares of men | Luke 23:34-35 |
| 82 | Psalms 22:18 | They parted His garments | John 19:23-24 |
| 83 | Psalms 22:20-21 | He committed Himself to God | Luke 23:46 |
| 84 | Psalms 22:20-21 | Satanic power bruising the Redeemer’s heel | Hebrews 2:14 |
| 85 | Psalms 22:22 | His Resurrection declared | John 20:17 |
| 86 | Psalms 22:27 | He shall be the governor of the nations | Colossians 1:16 |
| 87 | Psalms 22:31 | “It is finished” | John 19:30 |
| 88 | Psalms 23:1 | “I am the Good Shepherd” | John 10:11 |
| 89 | Psalms 24:3 | His exaltation predicted | Acts 1:11; Phil 2:9 |
| 90 | Psalms 27:12 | Accused by false witnesses | Matthew 26:60-61; Mark 14:57-58 |
| 91 | Psalms 30:3 | His resurrection predicted | Acts 2:32 |
| 92 | Psalms 31:5 | “Into thy hands I commit my spirit” | Luke 23:46 |
| 93 | Psalms 31:11 | His acquaintances fled from Him | Mark 14:50 |
| 94 | Psalms 31:13 | They took counsel to put Him to death | John 11:53 |
| 95 | Psalms 31:14-15 | ” He trusted in God let Him deliver him” | Matthew 27:43 |
| 96 | Psalms 34:20 | Not a bone of Him broken | John 19:31-36 |
| 97 | Psalms 35:11 | False witnesses rose up against Him | Matthew 26:59 |
| 98 | Psalms 35:19 |
He was hated without a cause |
John 15:25 |
| 99 | Psalms 38:11 | His friends stood afar off | Luke 23:49 |
| 100 | Psalms 40:2-5 | The joy of His resurrection predicted | John 20:20 |
| 101 | Psalms 40:6-8 | His delight-the will of the Father | John 4:34 |
| 102 | Psalms 40:9 | He was to preach the Righteousness in Israel | Matthew 4:17 |
|
103 |
|
Confronted by adversaries in the Garden |
|
| 104 | Psalms 41:9 | Betrayed by a familiar friend | John 13:18 |
| 105 | Psalms 45:2 | Words of Grace come from His lips | Luke 4:22 |
| 106 | Psalms 45:6 | To own the title God or Elohim | Hebrews 1:8 |
| 107 | Psalms 45:7 | A special anointing by the Holy Spirit |
Matthew 3:16; Hebrews 1:9 |
| 108 | Psalms 45:7, 8 | Called the Christ (Messiah or Anointed) | Luke 2:11 |
| 109 | Psalms 49:15 | His Resurrection | Acts 2:27; 13:35; Mark 16:6 |
| 110 | Psalms 55:12-14 | Betrayed by a friend; not an enemy | John 13:18 |
| 111 | Psalms 55:15 | Unrepentant death of the Betrayer | Matthew 27:3-5; Acts 1:16-19 |
| 112 | Psalms 68:18 | To give gifts to men | Ephesians 4:7-16 |
| 113 | Psalms 68:18 | Ascended into Heaven | Luke 24:51 |
| 114 | Psalms 69:4 | Hated without a cause | John 15:25 |
| 115 | Psalms 69:8 | A stranger to own brethren | Luke 8:20, 21 |
| 116 | Psalms 69:9 | Zealous for the Lord’s House | John 2:17 |
| 117 | Psalms 69:14-20 |
Messiah’s anguish of soul before crucifixion |
Matthew 26:36-45 |
| 118 | Psalms 69:20 | “My soul is exceeding sorrowful” | Matthew 26:38 |
| 119 | Psalms 69:21 | Given vinegar in thirst | Matthew 27:34 |
| 120 | Psalms 69:26 | The Savior given and smitten by God | John 17:4; 18:11 |
| 121 | Psalms 72:10-11 | Great persons were to visit Him | Matthew 2:1-11 |
| 122 | Psalms 72:16 | The corn of wheat to fall into the Ground | John 12:24 |
| 123 | Psalms 72:17 | His name (Yinon) will produce offspring | John 1:12, 13 |
| 124 | Psalms 72:17 | All nations shall be blessed by Him | Acts 2:11, 12, 41 |
| 125 | Psalms 78:1-2 | He would teach in parables | Matthew 13:34-35 |
| 126 | Psalms 78:2 | To speak the Wisdom of God with authority | Matthew 7:29 |
| 127 | Psalms 88:8 | They stood afar off and watched | Luke 23:49 |
| 128 | Psalms 89:26 | Messiah will call God His Father | Matthew 11:27 |
| 129 | Psalms 89:27 | Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings | Luke 1:32, 33 |
| 130 | Psalms 89:35-37 | David’s Seed (throne & kingdom) endure forever | Luke 1:32, 33 |
| 131 | Psalms 89:36-37 | His character-Faithfulness | Revelation 1:5 |
| 132 | Psalms 90:2 | He is from everlasting (Micah 5:2) | John 1:1 |
| 133 | Psalms 91:11-12 | Identified as Messianic; used to tempt Christ | Luke 4:10-11 |
| 134 | Psalms 97:9 | His exaltation predicted | Acts 1:11;Ephesians 1:20 |
| 135 | Psalms 100:5 | His character-Goodness | Matthew 19:16, 17 |
| 136 | Psalms 102:1-11 | The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary | John 21:16-30 |
|
137 |
|
Son of Man comes in Glory |
Luke 21:24; Revelation 12:5-10 |
| 138 | Psalms 102:25-27 | Messiah is the Pre-existent Son | Hebrews 1:10-12 |
| 139 | Psalms 109:4 | Prays for His enemies | Luke 23:34 |
| 140 | Psalms 109:7-8 | Another to succeed Judas | Acts 1:16-20 |
| 141 | Psalms 109:25 | Ridiculed | Matthew 27:39 |
| 142 | Psalms 110:1 | Son of David | Matthew 22:43 |
| 143 | Psalms 110:1 | To ascend to the right-hand of the Father | Mark 16:19 |
| 144 | Psalms 110:1 | David’s son called Lord | Matthew 22:44, 45 |
| 145 | Psalms 110:4 | A priest after Melchizedek’s order | Hebrews 6:20 |
|
146 |
|
His character=Compassionate; Gracious; et al |
|
| 147 | Psalms 118:17-18 | Messiah’s Resurrection assured | |
| 148 | Psalms 118:22-23 | The rejected stone is Head of the corner | Matthew 21:42, 43 |
| 149 | Psalms 118:26 | The Blessed One presented to Israel | Matthew 21:9 |
| 150 | Psalms 118:26 | To come while Temple standing | Matthew 21:12-15 |
| 151 | Psalms 132:11 | The Seed of David (the fruit of His Body) | Luke 1:32 |
| 152 | Psalms 138:1-6 | The supremacy of David’s Seed amazes kings | Matthew 2:2-6 |
| 153 | Psalms 147:3, 6 | The earthly ministry of Christ described | Luke 4:18 |
| 154 | Psalms 1:23 | He will send the Spirit of God | John 16:7 |
| 155 | Proverbs 8:22-23 | The Messiah would be from everlasting | John 17:5 |
|
156 |
|
Declared to be the Son of God |
John 3:13; Romans 1:2-4; 10:6-9; 2 Peter 1:17 |
| 157 | Song of Solomon 5:16 | The altogether lovely One | John 1:17 |
| 158 | Isaiah 2:2-4 | Repentance for the nations | Luke 24:47 |
| 159 | Isaiah 4:2 | Messiah reigning | Luke 1:33 |
| 160 | Isaiah 5:1-6 | Son of God’s vineyard: a parable of judgment | Matthew 20:1-34 |
| 161 | Isaiah 6:1 | When Isaiah saw His glory | John 12:40-41 |
| 162 | Isaiah 6:9-10 | Parables fall on deaf ears | Matthew 13:13-15 |
| 163 | Isaiah 6:9-12 | Blinded to Christ and deaf to His words | Acts 28:23-29 |
| 164 | Isaiah 7:14 | To be born of a virgin | Luke 1:35 |
| 165 | Isaiah 7:14 | To be Emmanuel-God with us | Matthew 1:18-23 |
| 166 | Isaiah 8:8 | Called Emmanuel | Matthew 28:20 |
| 167 | Isaiah 8:14 | A stone of stumbling – a Rock of offense | 1 Peter 2:8 |
| 168 | Isaiah 9:1, 2 | His ministry to begin in Galilee | Matthew 4:12-17 |
| 169 | Isaiah 9:6 | A child born-Humanity | Luke 1:31 |
| 170 | Isaiah 9:6 | A Son given-Deity | Luke 1:32; John 1:14; 1 Tim 3:16 |
| 171 | Isaiah 9:6 | Declared to be the Son of God with power | Romans 1:3, 4 |
| 172 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Wonderful One (Peleh) | Luke 4:22 |
| 173 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Counselor (Yaatz) | Matthew 13:54 |
| 174 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Mighty God (El Gibor) | Matthew 11:20 |
| 175 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Everlasting Father (Avi Adth) | John 8:58 |
| 176 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Prince of Peace (Sar Shalom) | John 16:33 |
| 177 | Isaiah 9:7 | To establish an everlasting kingdom | Luke 1:32-33 |
| 178 | Isaiah 9:7 | His Character-Just | John 5:30 |
| 179 | Isaiah 9:7 | No end to his Government; Throne and Peace | Luke 1:32-33 |
| 180 | Isaiah 11:1 |
Called a Nazarene-the Branch (Netzer) |
Matthew 2:23 |
| 181 | Isaiah 11:1 | A rod out of Jesse-Son of Jesse | Luke 3:23, 32 |
| 182 | Isaiah 11:2 | The anointed One by the Spirit | Matthew 3:16, 17 |
| 183 | Isaiah 11:2 | His Character=Wisdom; Understanding; et al | John 4:4-26 |
| 184 | Isaiah 11:4 | His Character=Truth | John 14:6 |
| 185 | Isaiah 11:10 | The Gentiles seek Him | John 12:18-21 |
| 186 | Isaiah 12:2 | Called Jesus-Yeshua (salvation) | Matthew 1:21 |
| 187 | Isaiah 16:4-5 | Reigning in mercy | Luke 1:31-33 |
| 188 | Isaiah 22:21-25 | Peg in a sure place | Revelation 3:7 |
| 189 | Isaiah 25:8 | The Resurrection predicted | I Corinthians 15:54 |
| 190 | Isaiah 26:19 | His power of Resurrection predicted | John 11:43, 44 |
| 191 | Isaiah 28:16 | The Messiah is the precious corner stone | Acts 4:11-12 |
| 192 | Isaiah 29:13 | He indicated hypocritical obedience to His Word | Matthew 15:7-9 |
| 193 | Isaiah 29:14 | The wise are confounded by the Word | I Corinthians 1:18-31 |
| 194 | Isaiah 32:2 | A Refuge-A man shall be a hiding place | Matthew 23:37 |
| 195 | Isaiah 33:22 | Son of the Highest | Luke 1:32; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15 |
| 196 | Isaiah 35:4 | He will come and save you | Matthew 1:21 |
| 197 | Isaiah 35:5 | To have a ministry of miracles | Matthew 11:4-6 |
| 198 | Isaiah 40:3-4 | Preceded by forerunner | John 1:23 |
| 199 | Isaiah 40:9 | “Behold your God” | John 1:36;19:14 |
| 200 | Isaiah 40:11 | A shepherd-compassionate life-giver | John 10:10-18 |
| 201 | Isaiah 42:1-4 |
The Servant-as a faithful patient redeemer |
Matthew 12:18-21 |
| 202 | Isaiah 42:2 | Meek and lowly | Matthew 11:28-30 |
| 203 | Isaiah 42:3 | He brings hope for the hopeless | John 4:1-54 |
| 204 | Isaiah 42:4 | The nations shall wait on His teachings | John 12:20-26 |
| 205 | Isaiah 42:6 | The Light (salvation) of the Gentiles | Luke 2:32 |
| 206 | Isaiah 42:1, 6 | His is a Worldwide compassion | Matthew 28:19, 20 |
| 207 | Isaiah 42:7 | Blind eyes opened | John 9:25-38 |
| 208 | Isaiah 42:13-25 | Messiah’s actions at His second coming | All of Revelation |
| 209 | Isaiah 43:11 | He is the only Savior | Acts 4:12 |
| 210 | Isaiah 44:3 | He will send the Spirit of God | John 16:7, 13 |
| 211 | Isaiah 45:23 | He will be the Judge | John 5:22; Romans 14:11 |
| 212 | Isaiah 48:12 | The First and the Last | John 1:30;Rev 1:8, 17 |
| 213 | Isaiah 48:17 | He came as a Teacher | John 3:2 |
| 214 | Isaiah 49:1 | Called from the womb-His humanity | Matthew 1:18 |
| 215 | Isaiah 49:5 | A Servant from the womb | Luke 1:31; Phil. 2:7 |
| 216 | Isaiah 49:6 | He is Salvation for Israel | Luke 2:29-32 |
| 217 | Isaiah 49:6 | He is the Light of the Gentiles | Acts 13:47 |
| 218 | Isaiah 49:6 | He is Salvation unto the ends of the earth | Acts 15:7-18 |
| 219 | Isaiah 49:7 | He is despised of the Nation | John 8:48-49 |
| 220 | Isaiah 50:3 | Heaven is clothed in black at His humiliation | Luke 23:44, 45 |
| 221 | Isaiah 50:4 | He is a learned counselor for the weary | Matthew 11:28-29 |
| 222 | Isaiah 50:5 | The Servant bound willingly to obedience | Matthew 26:39 |
| 223 | Isaiah 50:6 |
“I gave my back to the smiters” |
Matthew 27:26 |
| 224 | Isaiah 50:6 | He was smitten on the cheeks | Matthew 26:67 |
| 225 | Isaiah 50:6 | He was spat upon | Matthew 27:30 |
|
226 |
|
Suffered vicariously |
4, 27, 28; Luke 23:1– 25, 32-34 |
| 227 | Isaiah 52:7 | To publish good tidings of peace | Luke 4:14-15 |
| 228 | Isaiah 52:13 | The Servant exalted | Acts 1:8-11; Ephesians 1:19-22 |
| 229 | Isaiah 52:13 | Behold My Servant | Matthew 17:5; Phil 2:5-8 |
| 230 | Isaiah 52:14 | The Servant shockingly abused |
34; Matthew 26:67-68 |
| 231 | Isaiah 52:15 | Nations startled by message of the Servant | Romans 15:18-21 |
| 232 | Isaiah 52:15 |
His blood shed to make atonement for all |
Revelation 1:5 |
| 233 | Isaiah 53:1 | His people would not believe Him | John 12:37-38 |
| 234 | Isaiah 53:2 | He would grow up in a poor family | Luke 2:7 |
| 235 | Isaiah 53:2 | Appearance of an ordinary man | Philippians 2:7-8 |
| 236 | Isaiah 53:3 | Despised | Luke 4:28-29 |
| 237 | Isaiah 53:3 | Rejected | Matthew 27:21-23 |
| 238 | Isaiah 53:3 | Great sorrow and grief | Luke 19:41-42 |
| 239 | Isaiah 53:3 | Men hide from being associated with Him | Mark 14:50-52 |
| 240 | Isaiah 53:4 | He would have a healing ministry | Luke 6:17-19 |
| 241 | Isaiah 53:4 | He would bear the sins of the world | 1 Pet 2:24 |
| 242 | Isaiah 53:4 | Thought to be cursed by God | Matthew 27:41-43 |
|
243 |
|
Bears penalty for mankind’s transgressions |
|
|
244 |
|
His sacrifice would provide peace between man and God |
|
| 245 | Isaiah 53:5 | His back would be whipped | Matthew 27:26 |
| 246 | Isaiah 53:6 | He would be the sin- bearer for all mankind | Galatians 1:4 |
| 247 | Isaiah 53:6 | God’s will that He bear sin for all mankind | 1 John 4:10 |
| 248 | Isaiah 53:7 | Oppressed and afflicted | Matthew 27:27-31 |
| 249 | Isaiah 53:7 | Silent before his accusers | Matthew 27:12-14 |
| 250 | Isaiah 53:7 | Sacrificial lamb | John 1:29 |
| 251 | Isaiah 53:8 | Confined and persecuted | Matthew 26:47-27:31 |
| 252 | Isaiah 53:8 | He would be judged | John 18:13-22 |
| 253 | Isaiah 53:8 | Killed | Matthew 27:35 |
| 254 | Isaiah 53:8 | Dies for the sins of the world | 1 John 2:2 |
| 255 | Isaiah 53:9 | Buried in a rich man’s grave | Matthew 27:57 |
| 256 | Isaiah 53:9 | Innocent and had done no violence | Mark 15:3 |
| 257 | Isaiah 53:9 | No deceit in his mouth | John 18:38 |
| 258 | Isaiah 53:10 | God’s will that He die for mankind | John 18:11 |
| 259 | Isaiah 53:10 | An offering for sin | Matthew 20:28 |
| 260 | Isaiah 53:10 | Resurrected and live forever | Mark 16:16 |
| 261 | Isaiah 53:10 | He would prosper | John 17:1-5 |
| 262 | Isaiah 53:11 | God fully satisfied with His suffering | John 12:27 |
| 263 | Isaiah 53:11 | God’s servant | Romans 5:18-19 |
| 264 | Isaiah 53:11 |
He would justify man before God |
Romans 5:8-9 |
| 265 | Isaiah 53:11 | The sin-bearer for all mankind | Hebrews 9:28 |
| 266 | Isaiah 53:12 | Exalted by God because of his sacrifice | Matthew 28:18 |
| 267 | Isaiah 53:12 | He would give up his life to save mankind | Luke 23:46 |
| 268 | Isaiah 53:12 | Grouped with criminals | Luke 23:32 |
| 269 | Isaiah 53:12 | Sin-bearer for all mankind | 2 Corinthians 5:21 |
| 270 | Isaiah 53:12 | Intercede to God in behalf of mankind | Luke 23:34 |
| 271 | Isaiah 55:1 | Everyone come who is thirsty | (New Testament) |
| 272 | Isaiah 55:3 | Resurrected by God | Acts 13:34 |
| 273 | Isaiah 55:4 | A witness | John 18:37 |
| 274 | Isaiah 55:5 | Foreign nations come to God | (all of Acts) |
| 275 | Isaiah 59:15-16 | He would come to provide salvation | John 6:40 |
| 276 | Isaiah 59:15-16 | Intercessor between man and God | Matthew 10:32 |
| 277 | Isaiah 59:20 | He would come to Zion as their Redeemer | Luke 2:38 |
| 278 | Isaiah 60:1-3 | Nations walk in the light | Luke 2:32 |
| 279 | Isaiah 61:1-2 | The Spirit of God upon him | Matthew 3:16-17 |
| 280 | Isaiah 61:1-2 | The Messiah would preach the good news | Luke 4:17-21 |
|
281 |
|
Provide freedom from the bondage of sin and death |
|
| 282 | Isaiah 61:1-2 | Proclaim a period of grace | John 5:24 |
| 283 | Isaiah 62:1-2 | Called by an new name | Luke 2:32; Revelation 3:12 |
|
284 |
|
Thy King Cometh- Entered Jerusalem on Colt |
|
| 285 | Isaiah 63:1-3 | A vesture dipped in blood | Revelation 19:13 |
| 286 | Isaiah 63:8-9 | Afflicted with the afflicted | Matthew 25:34-40 |
|
287 |
|
The elect shall inherit |
Romans 11:5– 7; Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5 |
| 288 | Isaiah 65:17-25 | New heaven/New Earth | 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1 |
| 289 | Isaiah 66:18-19 | All nations come to God | New Testament |
| 290 | Jeremiah 23:5-6 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| 291 | Jeremiah 23:5-6 | The Messiah would be God | John 13:13 |
| 292 | Jeremiah 23:5-6 | The Messiah would be both God and Man | 1 Timothy 3:16 |
| 293 | Jeremiah 30:9 | Born a King | John 18:37; Revelation 1:5 |
| 294 | Jeremiah 31:15 | Massacre of infants | Matthew 2:16-18 |
| 295 | Jeremiah 31:22 | Born of a virgin | Matthew 1:18-20 |
| 296 | Jeremiah 31:31 | The Messiah would be the new covenant | Matthew 26:28 |
| 297 | Jeremiah 33:14-15 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| 298 | Ezekiel 17:22-24 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| 299 | Ezekiel 21:26-27 | The humble exalted | Luke 1:52 |
| 300 | Ezekiel 34:23-24 | Descendant of David | Matthew 1:1 |
| 301 | Daniel 2:34-35 | Stone cut without hands | Acts 4:10-12 |
|
302 |
|
His Kingdom Triumphant |
Luke 1:33; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Revelation 11:15 |
| 303 | Daniel 7:13-14 | He would ascend into heaven | Acts 1:9-11 |
| 304 | Daniel 7:13-14 | Highly exalted | Ephesians 1:20-22 |
| 305 | Daniel 7:13-14 |
His dominion would be everlasting |
Luke 1:31-33 |
|
306 |
|
Kingdom for the Saints |
Luke 1:33; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Revelation 11:15 |
| 307 | Daniel 9:24 | To make an end to sins | Galatians 1:3-5 |
| 308 | Daniel 9:24 | He would be holy | Luke 1:35 |
|
309 |
|
Announced to his people 483 years to the exact day after the decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem |
|
| 310 | Daniel 9:26 | Killed | Matthew 27:35 |
| 311 | Daniel 9:26 | Die for the sins of the world | Hebrews 2:9 |
|
312 |
|
Killed before the destruction of the temple |
|
| 313 | Daniel 10:5-6 | Messiah in a glorified state | Revelation 1:13-16 |
| 314 | Hosea 3:5 | Israel restored | John 18:37; Romans 11:25-27 |
| 315 | Hosea 11:1; Numbers 24:8 | Flight to Egypt | Matthew 2:14 |
| 316 | Hosea 13:14 | He would defeat death | 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 |
| 317 | Joel 2:28-32 | Promise of the Spirit | Acts 2:17-21; Romans 10:13 |
| 318 | Joel 2:32 | Offer salvation to all mankind | Romans 10:12-13 |
| 319 | Micah 2:12-13 | Israel Regathered | John 10:14, 26 |
|
320 |
|
The Kingdom established – place of Birth Bethlehem | Luke 1:33; Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4, 10, 11 |
| 321 | Micah 5:2 | Born in Bethlehem | Matthew 2:1-2 |
| 322 | Micah 5:2 | God’s servant | John 15:10 |
| 323 | Micah 5:2 | from everlasting | John 8:58 |
| 324 | Haggai 2:6-9 |
He would visit the second Temple |
Luke 2:27-32 |
| 325 | Haggai 2:23 | Descendant of Zerubbabel | Luke 3:23-27 |
| 326 | Joel 2:28-32 | Promise of the Spirit | Acts 2:17-21; Romans 10:13 |
| 327 | Amos 8:9 | The Sun Darkened | Matthew 24:29; Acts 2:20; Revelation 6:12 |
| 328 | Amos 9:11-12 | Restoration of tabernacle | Acts 14:16-18 |
|
329 |
|
Earth filled with knowledge of the glory of the Lord |
Romans 11:26; Revelation 21:23-26 |
| 330 | Zechariah 2:10-13 | The Lamb on the Throne | Revelation 5:13; 6:9; 21:24 |
| 331 | Zechariah 3:8 | God’s servant | John 17:4 |
| 332 | Zechariah 6:12-13 | Priest and King | Hebrews 8:1 |
| 333 | Zechariah 9:9 | Greeted with rejoicing in Jerusalem | Matthew 21:8-10 |
| 334 | Zechariah 9:9 | Beheld as King | John 12:12-13 |
| 335 | Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would be just | John 5:30 |
| 336 | Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would bring salvation | Luke 19:10 |
| 337 | Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would be humble | Matthew 11:29 |
| 338 | Zechariah 9:9 | Presented to Jerusalem riding on a donkey | Matthew 21:6-9 |
| 339 | Zechariah 10:4 | The cornerstone | Ephesians 2:20 |
| 340 | Zechariah 11:4-6 | At His coming Israel to have unfit leaders | Matthew 23:1-4 |
| 341 | Zechariah 11:4-6 | Rejection causes God to remove His protection | Luke 19:41-44 |
| 342 | Zechariah 11:4-6 | Rejected in favor of another king | John 19:13-15 |
| 343 | Zechariah 11:7 | Ministry to “poor” the believing remnant | Matthew 9:35-36 |
| 344 | Zechariah 11:8 |
Unbelief forces Messiah to reject them |
Matthew 23:33 |
| 345 | Zechariah 11:8 | Despised | Matthew 27:20 |
| 346 | Zechariah 11:9 | Stops ministering to the those who rejected Him | Matthew 13:10-11 |
| 347 | Zechariah 11:10-11 | Rejection causes God to remove protection | Luke 19:41-44 |
| 348 | Zechariah 11:10-11 | The Messiah would be God | John 14:7 |
| 349 | Zechariah 11:12-13 | Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver | Matthew 26:14-15 |
| 350 | Zechariah 11:12-13 | Rejected | Matthew 26:14-15 |
|
351 |
|
Thirty pieces of silver thrown into the house of the Lord |
|
| 352 | Zechariah 11:12-13 | The Messiah would be God | John 12:45 |
| 353 | Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah’s body would be pierced | John 19:34-37 |
| 354 | Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah would be both God and man | John 10:30 |
| 355 | Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah would be rejected | John 1:11 |
| 356 | Zechariah 13:7 | God’s will He die for mankind | John 18:11 |
| 357 | Zechariah 13:7 | A violent death | Matthew 27:35 |
| 358 | Zechariah 13:7 | Both God and man | John 14:9 |
| 359 | Zechariah 13:7 | Israel scattered as a result of rejecting Him | Matthew 26:31-56 |
| 360 | Malachi 3:1 | Messenger to prepare the way for Messiah | Matthew 11:10 |
| 361 | Malachi 3:1 | Sudden appearance at the temple | Mark 11:15-16 |
| 362 | Malachi 3:1 | Messenger of the new covenant | Luke 4:43 |
| 363 | Malachi 3:3 | Our Sins Are Purged | Luke 1:78; John 1:9; 12:46; 2 Peter |
|
1:19; Revelation 2:28; 19:11-16; 22:16 |
|||
| 364 | Malachi 4:5 | Forerunner in the spirit of Elijah | Matthew 3:1-2 |
| 365 | Malachi 4:6 | Forerunner would turn many to righteousness | Luke 1:16-17 |
JEUTop of Form
Bottom of Form
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
| # | Prophecy | Description | Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 3:15 | Seed of a woman (virgin birth) | Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18-20 |
| 2 | Genesis 3:15 | He will bruise Satan's head | Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:18 |
| 3 | Genesis 5:24 | The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated | Mark 6:19 |
| 4 | Genesis 9:26-27 | The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem | Luke 3:36 |
| 5 | Genesis 12:3 | As Abraham's seed will bless all nations | Acts 3:25, 26 |
| 6 | Genesis 12:7 | The Promise made to Abraham's Seed | Galatians 3:16 |
| 7 | Genesis 14:18 | A priest after Melchizedek | Hebrews 6:20 |
| 8 | Genesis 14:18 | A King also | Hebrews 7:2 |
| 9 | Genesis 14:18 | The Last Supper foreshadowed | Matthew 26:26-29 |
| 10 | Genesis 17:19 | The Seed of Isaac | Romans 9:7 |
| 11 | Genesis 21:1 | Seed of Isaac | Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18 |
| 12 | Genesis 22:8 | The Lamb of God promised | John 1:29 |
| 13 | Genesis 22:18 | As Isaac's seed will bless all nations | Galatians 3:16 |
| 14 | Genesis 26:2-5 | The Seed of Isaac promised as the Redeemer | Hebrews 11:18 |
| 15 | Genesis 49:10 | The time of His coming | Luke 2:1-7; Galatians 4:4 |
| 16 | Genesis 49:10 | The Seed of Judah | Luke 3:33 |
| 17 | Genesis 49:10 | Called Shiloh or One Sent | John 17:3 |
| 18 | Genesis 49:10 | To come before Judah lost identity | John 11:47-52 |
| 19 | Genesis 49:10 | To Him shall the obedience of the people be | John 10:16 |
| 20 | Exodus 3:13, 14 | The Great "I Am" | John 4:26 |
| 21 | Exodus 12:5 | A Lamb without blemish | 1 Peter 1:19 |
| 22 | Exodus 12:13 | The blood of the Lamb saves Romans wrath | Romans 5:8 |
| 23 | Exodus 12:21-27 | Christ is our Passover | 1 Corinthians 5:7 |
| 24 | Exodus 12:46 | Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken | John 19:31-36 |
| 25 | Exodus 13:2 | Blessing to first born son | Luke 2:23 |
| 26 | Exodus 15:2 | His exaltation predicted as Yeshua | Acts 7:55, 56 |
| 27 | Exodus 15:11 | His Character-Holiness | Luke 1:35; Acts 4:27 |
| 28 | Exodus 17:6 | The Spiritual Rock of Israel | 1 Corinthians 10:4 |
| 29 | Exodus 33:19 | His Character-Merciful | Luke 1:72 |
| 30 | Leviticus 14:11 | The leper cleansed-Sign to priesthood | Luke 5:12-14; Acts 6:7 |
| 31 | Leviticus 16:15-17 | Prefigures Christ's once-for-all death | Hebrews 9:7-14 |
| 32 | Leviticus 16:27 | Suffering outside the Camp | Matthew 27:33; Hebrews 13:11, 12 |
| 33 | Leviticus 17:11 | The Blood-the life of the flesh | Matthew 26:28; Mark 10:45 |
| 34 | Leviticus 17:11 | It is the blood that makes atonement | 1 John 3:14-18 |
| 35 | Leviticus 23:36-37 | The Drink-offering: "If any man thirst" | John 19:31-36 |
| 36 | Numbers 9:12 | Not a bone of Him broken | John 19:31-36 |
| 37 | Numbers 21:9 | The serpent on a pole-Christ lifted up | John 3:14-18 |
| 38 | Numbers 24:8 | Flight to Egypt | Matthew 2:14 |
| 39 | Numbers 24:17 | Time: "I shall see him, but not now" | Galatians 4:4 |
| 40 | Numbers 24:17-19 | A star out of Jacob | Matthew 2:2; Luke 1:33, 78; Revelation 22:16 |
| 41 | Deuteronomy 18:15 | "This is of a truth that prophet" | John 6:14 |
| 42 | Deuteronomy 18:15-16 | "Had ye believed Moses ye would believe me." | John 5:45-47 |
| 43 | Deuteronomy 18:18 | Sent by the Father to speak His word | John 8:28, 29 |
| 44 | Deuteronomy 18:19 | Whoever will not hear must bear his sin | John 12:15 |
| 45 | Deuteronomy 21:13 | As a prophet | John 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22, 23 |
| 46 | Deuteronomy 21:23 | Cursed is he that hangs on a tree | Galatians 3:10-13 |
| 47 | Ruth 4:4-9 | "Christ our kinsman has redeemed us" | Ephesians 1:3-7 |
| 48 | 1 Samuel 2:10 | Shall be an anointed King to the Lord | Matthew 28:18; John 12:15 |
| 49 | 2 Samuel 7:12 | David's Seed | Matthew 1:1 |
| 50 | 2 Samuel 7:14 | The Son of God | Luke 1:32 |
| 51 | 2 Samuel 7:16 | David's house established forever | Luke 3:31; Rev 22:16 |
| 52 | 2 Samuel 23:2 | would be the “Rock | 1 Corinthians 10:4 |
| 53 | 2 Samuel 23:2 | would be as the “light of the morning | Revelation 22:16 |
| 54 | 2 Kings 2:11 | The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated | Luke 24:51 |
| 55 | 1 Chronicles 17:11 | David's Seed | Matthew 1:1; 9:27 |
| 56 | 1 Chronicles 17:12, 13 | To reign on David's throne forever | Luke 1:32, 33 |
| 57 | 1 Chronicles 17:13 | "I will be His Father, He my Son" | Hebrews 1:5 |
| 58 | Job 19:23-27 | The Resurrection predicted | John 5:24-29 |
| 59 | Psalms 2:1-3 | The enmity of kings foreordained | Acts 4:25-28 |
| 60 | Psalms 2:2 | To own the title Anointed (Christ) | Acts 2:36 |
| 61 | Psalms 2:6 | His Character-Holiness | John 8:46; Rev 3:7 |
| 62 | Psalms 2:6 | To own the title King | Matthew 2:2 |
| 63 | Psalms 2:7 | Declared the Beloved Son | Matthew 3:17 |
| 64 | Psalms 2:7-8 | The Crucifixion and Resurrection intimated | Acts 13:29-33 |
| 65 | Psalms 2:12 | Life comes through faith in Him | John 20:31 |
| 66 | Psalms 8:2 | The mouths of babes perfect His praise | Matthew 21:16 |
| 67 | Psalms 8:5, 6 | His humiliation and exaltation | Luke 24:50-53; 1 Corinthians 15:27 |
| 68 | Psalms 16:10 | Was not to see corruption | Acts 2:31 |
| 69 | Psalms 16:9-11 | Was to arise from the dead | John 20:9 |
| 70 | Psalms 17:15 | The resurrection predicted | Luke 24:6 |
| 71 | Psalms 22:1 | Forsaken because of sins of others | 2 Corinthians 5:21 |
| 72 | Psalms 22:1 | Words spoken from Calvary "My God" | Mark 15:34 |
| 73 | Psalms 22:2 | Darkness upon Calvary | Matthew 27:45 |
| 74 | Psalms 22:7 | They shoot out the lip and shake the head | Matthew 27:39 |
| 75 | Psalms 22:8 | " He trusted in God let Him deliver Him" | Matthew 27:43 |
| 76 | Psalms 22:9 | Born the Savior | Luke 2:7 |
| 77 | Psalms 22:14 | Died of a broken (ruptured) heart | John 19:34 |
| 78 | Psalms 22:14-15 | Suffered agony on Calvary | Mark 15:34-37 |
| 79 | Psalms 22:15 | He thirsted | John 19:28 |
| 80 | Psalms 22:16 | They pierced His hands and His feet | John 19:34, 37; 20:27 |
| 81 | Psalms 22:17-18 | Stripped Him before the stares of men | Luke 23:34, 35 |
| 82 | Psalms 22:18 | They parted His garments | John 19:23, 24 |
| 83 | Psalms 22:20-21 | He committed Himself to God | Luke 23:46 |
| 84 | Psalms 22:20-21 | Satanic power bruising the Redeemer's heel | Hebrews 2:14 |
| 85 | Psalms 22:22 | His Resurrection declared | John 20:17 |
| 86 | Psalms 22:27 | He shall be the governor of the nations | Colossians 1:16 |
| 87 | Psalms 22:31 | "It is finished" | John 19:30 |
| 88 | Psalms 23:1 | "I am the Good Shepherd" | John 10:11 |
| 89 | Psalms 24:3 | His exaltation predicted | Acts 1:11; Phil 2:9 |
| 90 | Psalms 27:12 | Accused by false witnesses | Matthew 26:60, 61; Mark 14:57, 58 |
| 91 | Psalms 30:3 | His resurrection predicted | Acts 2:32 |
| 92 | Psalms 31:5 | "Into thy hands I commit my spirit" | Luke 23:46 |
| 93 | Psalms 31:11 | His acquaintances fled from Him | Mark 14:50 |
| 94 | Psalms 31:13 | They took counsel to put Him to death | John 11:53 |
| 95 | Psalms 31:14-15 | " He trusted in God let Him deliver him" | Matthew 27:43 |
| 96 | Psalms 34:20 | Not a bone of Him broken | John 19:31-36 |
| 97 | Psalms 35:11 | False witnesses rose up against Him | Matthew 26:59 |
| 98 | Psalms 35:19 | He was hated without a cause | John 15:25 |
| 99 | Psalms 38:11 | His friends stood afar off | Luke 23:49 |
| 100 | Psalms 40:2-5 | The joy of His resurrection predicted | John 20:20 |
| 101 | Psalms 40:6-8 | His delight-the will of the Father | John 4:34 |
| 102 | Psalms 40:9 | He was to preach the Righteousness in Israel | Matthew 4:17 |
| 103 | Psalms 40:14 | Confronted by adversaries in the Garden | John 18:1-40 |
| 104 | Psalms 41:9 | Betrayed by a familiar friend | John 13:18 |
| 105 | Psalms 45:2 | Words of Grace come from His lips | Luke 4:22 |
| 106 | Psalms 45:6 | To own the title God or Elohim | Hebrews 1:8 |
| 107 | Psalms 45:7 | A special anointing by the Holy Spirit | Matthew 3:16; Hebrews 1:9 |
| 108 | Psalms 45:7, 8 | Called the Christ (Messiah or Anointed) | Luke 2:11 |
| 109 | Psalms 49:15 | His Resurrection | Acts 2:27; 13:35; Mark 16:6 |
| 110 | Psalms 55:12-14 | Betrayed by a friend; not an enemy | John 13:18 |
| 111 | Psalms 55:15 | Unrepentant death of the Betrayer | Matthew 27:3-5; Acts 1:16-19 |
| 112 | Psalms 68:18 | To give gifts to men | Ephesians 4:7-16 |
| 113 | Psalms 68:18 | Ascended into Heaven | Luke 24:51 |
| 114 | Psalms 69:4 | Hated without a cause | John 15:25 |
| 115 | Psalms 69:8 | A stranger to own brethren | Luke 8:20, 21 |
| 116 | Psalms 69:9 | Zealous for the Lord's House | John 2:17 |
| 117 | Psalms 69:14-20 | Messiah's anguish of soul before crucifixion | Matthew 26:36-45 |
| 118 | Psalms 69:20 | "My soul is exceeding sorrowful" | Matthew 26:38 |
| 119 | Psalms 69:21 | Given vinegar in thirst | Matthew 27:34 |
| 120 | Psalms 69:26 | The Savior given and smitten by God | John 17:4; 18:11 |
| 121 | Psalms 72:10-11 | Great persons were to visit Him | Matthew 2:1-11 |
| 122 | Psalms 72:16 | The corn of wheat to fall into the Ground | John 12:24 |
| 123 | Psalms 72:17 | His name (Yinon) will produce offspring | John 1:12, 13 |
| 124 | Psalms 72:17 | All nations shall be blessed by Him | Acts 2:11, 12, 41 |
| 125 | Psalms 78:1-2 | He would teach in parables | Matthew 13:34-35 |
| 126 | Psalms 78:2 | To speak the Wisdom of God with authority | Matthew 7:29 |
| 127 | Psalms 88:8 | They stood afar off and watched | Luke 23:49 |
| 128 | Psalms 89:26 | Messiah will call God His Father | Matthew 11:27 |
| 129 | Psalms 89:27 | Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings | Luke 1:32, 33 |
| 130 | Psalms 89:35-37 | David's Seed (throne & kingdom) endure forever | Luke 1:32, 33 |
| 131 | Psalms 89:36-37 | His character-Faithfulness | Revelation 1:5 |
| 132 | Psalms 90:2 | He is from everlasting (Micah 5:2) | John 1:1 |
| 133 | Psalms 91:11-12 | Identified as Messianic; used to tempt Christ | Luke 4:10-11 |
| 134 | Psalms 97:9 | His exaltation predicted | Acts 1:11;Ephesians 1:20 |
| 135 | Psalms 100:5 | His character-Goodness | Matthew 19:16, 17 |
| 136 | Psalms 102:1-11 | The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary | John 21:16-30 |
| 137 | Psalms 102:16 | Son of Man comes in Glory | Luke 21:24; Revelation 12:5-10 |
| 138 | Psalms 102:25-27 | Messiah is the Pre-existent Son | Hebrews 1:10-12 |
| 139 | Psalms 109:4 | Prays for His enemies | Luke 23:34 |
| 140 | Psalms 109:7-8 | Another to succeed Judas | Acts 1:16-20 |
| 141 | Psalms 109:25 | Ridiculed | Matthew 27:39 |
| 142 | Psalms 110:1 | Son of David | Matthew 22:43 |
| 143 | Psalms 110:1 | To ascend to the right-hand of the Father | Mark 16:19 |
| 144 | Psalms 110:1 | David's son called Lord | Matthew 22:44, 45 |
| 145 | Psalms 110:4 | A priest after Melchizedek's order | Hebrews 6:20 |
| 146 | Psalms 112:4 | His character=Compassionate; Gracious; et al | Matthew 9:36 |
| 147 | Psalms 118:17-18 | Messiah's Resurrection assured | Luke 24:5-7;1 Corinthians 15:20 |
| 148 | Psalms 118:22-23 | The rejected stone is Head of the corner | Matthew 21:42, 43 |
| 149 | Psalms 118:26 | The Blessed One presented to Israel | Matthew 21:9 |
| 150 | Psalms 118:26 | To come while Temple standing | Matthew 21:12-15 |
| 151 | Psalms 132:11 | The Seed of David (the fruit of His Body) | Luke 1:32 |
| 152 | Psalms 138:1-6 | The supremacy of David's Seed amazes kings | Matthew 2:2-6 |
| 153 | Psalms 147:3, 6 | The earthly ministry of Christ described | Luke 4:18 |
| 154 | Psalms 1:23 | He will send the Spirit of God | John 16:7 |
| 155 | Proverbs 8:22-23 | The Messiah would be from everlasting | John 17:5 |
| 156 | Proverbs 30:4 | Declared to be the Son of God | John 3:13; Romans 1:2-4; 10:6-9; 2 Peter 1:17 |
| 157 | Song of Solomon 5:16 | The altogether lovely One | John 1:17 |
| 158 | Isaiah 2:2-4 | Repentance for the nations | Luke 24:47 |
| 159 | Isaiah 4:2 | Messiah reigning | Luke 1:33 |
| 160 | Isaiah 5:1-6 | Son of God’s vineyard: a parable of judgment | Matthew 20:1-34 |
| 161 | Isaiah 6:1 | When Isaiah saw His glory | John 12:40-41 |
| 162 | Isaiah 6:9-10 | Parables fall on deaf ears | Matthew 13:13-15 |
| 163 | Isaiah 6:9-12 | Blinded to Christ and deaf to His words | Acts 28:23-29 |
| 164 | Isaiah 7:14 | To be born of a virgin | Luke 1:35 |
| 165 | Isaiah 7:14 | To be Emmanuel-God with us | Matthew 1:18-23 |
| 166 | Isaiah 8:8 | Called Emmanuel | Matthew 28:20 |
| 167 | Isaiah 8:14 | A stone of stumbling - a Rock of offense | 1 Peter 2:8 |
| 168 | Isaiah 9:1, 2 | His ministry to begin in Galilee | Matthew 4:12-17 |
| 169 | Isaiah 9:6 | A child born-Humanity | Luke 1:31 |
| 170 | Isaiah 9:6 | A Son given-Deity | Luke 1:32; John 1:14; 1 Tim 3:16 |
| 171 | Isaiah 9:6 | Declared to be the Son of God with power | Romans 1:3, 4 |
| 172 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Wonderful One (Peleh) | Luke 4:22 |
| 173 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Counselor (Yaatz) | Matthew 13:54 |
| 174 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Mighty God (El Gibor) | Matthew 11:20 |
| 175 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Everlasting Father (Avi Adth) | John 8:58 |
| 176 | Isaiah 9:6 | The Prince of Peace (Sar Shalom) | John 16:33 |
| 177 | Isaiah 9:7 | To establish an everlasting kingdom | Luke 1:32-33 |
| 178 | Isaiah 9:7 | His Character-Just | John 5:30 |
| 179 | Isaiah 9:7 | No end to his Government; Throne and Peace | Luke 1:32-33 |
| 180 | Isaiah 11:1 | Called a Nazarene-the Branch (Netzer) | Matthew 2:23 |
| 181 | Isaiah 11:1 | A rod out of Jesse-Son of Jesse | Luke 3:23, 32 |
| 182 | Isaiah 11:2 | The anointed One by the Spirit | Matthew 3:16, 17 |
| 183 | Isaiah 11:2 | His Character=Wisdom; Understanding; et al | John 4:4-26 |
| 184 | Isaiah 11:4 | His Character=Truth | John 14:6 |
| 185 | Isaiah 11:10 | The Gentiles seek Him | John 12:18-21 |
| 186 | Isaiah 12:2 | Called Jesus-Yeshua (salvation) | Matthew 1:21 |
| 187 | Isaiah 16:4-5 | Reigning in mercy | Luke 1:31-33 |
| 188 | Isaiah 22:21-25 | Peg in a sure place | Revelation 3:7 |
| 189 | Isaiah 25:8 | The Resurrection predicted | I Corinthians 15:54 |
| 190 | Isaiah 26:19 | His power of Resurrection predicted | John 11:43, 44 |
| 191 | Isaiah 28:16 | The Messiah is the precious corner stone | Acts 4:11-12 |
| 192 | Isaiah 29:13 | He indicated hypocritical obedience to His Word | Matthew 15:7-9 |
| 193 | Isaiah 29:14 | The wise are confounded by the Word | I Corinthians 1:18-31 |
| 194 | Isaiah 32:2 | A Refuge-A man shall be a hiding place | Matthew 23:37 |
| 195 | Isaiah 33:22 | Son of the Highest | Luke 1:32; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15 |
| 196 | Isaiah 35:4 | He will come and save you | Matthew 1:21 |
| 197 | Isaiah 35:5 | To have a ministry of miracles | Matthew 11:4-6 |
| 198 | Isaiah 40:3-4 | Preceded by forerunner | John 1:23 |
| 199 | Isaiah 40:9 | "Behold your God" | John 1:36;19:14 |
| 200 | Isaiah 40:11 | A shepherd-compassionate life-giver | John 10:10-18 |
| 201 | Isaiah 42:1-4 | The Servant-as a faithful patient redeemer | Matthew 12:18-21 |
| 202 | Isaiah 42:2 | Meek and lowly | Matthew 11:28-30 |
| 203 | Isaiah 42:3 | He brings hope for the hopeless | John 4:1-54 |
| 204 | Isaiah 42:4 | The nations shall wait on His teachings | John 12:20-26 |
| 205 | Isaiah 42:6 | The Light (salvation) of the Gentiles | Luke 2:32 |
| 206 | Isaiah 42:1, 6 | His is a Worldwide compassion | Matthew 28:19, 20 |
| 207 | Isaiah 42:7 | Blind eyes opened | John 9:25-38 |
| 208 | Isaiah 42:13-25 | Messiah’s actions at His second coming | All of Revelation |
| 209 | Isaiah 43:11 | He is the only Savior | Acts 4:12 |
| 210 | Isaiah 44:3 | He will send the Spirit of God | John 16:7, 13 |
| 211 | Isaiah 45:23 | He will be the Judge | John 5:22; Romans 14:11 |
| 212 | Isaiah 48:12 | The First and the Last | John 1:30;Rev 1:8, 17 |
| 213 | Isaiah 48:17 | He came as a Teacher | John 3:2 |
| 214 | Isaiah 49:1 | Called from the womb-His humanity | Matthew 1:18 |
| 215 | Isaiah 49:5 | A Servant from the womb | Luke 1:31; Phil. 2:7 |
| 216 | Isaiah 49:6 | He is Salvation for Israel | Luke 2:29-32 |
| 217 | Isaiah 49:6 | He is the Light of the Gentiles | Acts 13:47 |
| 218 | Isaiah 49:6 | He is Salvation unto the ends of the earth | Acts 15:7-18 |
| 219 | Isaiah 49:7 | He is despised of the Nation | John 8:48-49 |
| 220 | Isaiah 50:3 | Heaven is clothed in black at His humiliation | Luke 23:44, 45 |
| 221 | Isaiah 50:4 | He is a learned counselor for the weary | Matthew 11:28-29 |
| 222 | Isaiah 50:5 | The Servant bound willingly to obedience | Matthew 26:39 |
| 223 | Isaiah 50:6 | "I gave my back to the smiters" | Matthew 27:26 |
| 224 | Isaiah 50:6 | He was smitten on the cheeks | Matthew 26:67 |
| 225 | Isaiah 50:6 | He was spat upon | Matthew 27:30 |
| 226 | Isaiah 52:4-5 | Suffered vicariously | Mark 15:3-4, 27, 28; Luke 23:1-25, 32-34 |
| 227 | Isaiah 52:7 | To publish good tidings of peace | Luke 4:14-15 |
| 228 | Isaiah 52:13 | The Servant exalted | Acts 1:8-11; Ephesians 1:19-22 |
| 229 | Isaiah 52:13 | Behold My Servant | Matthew 17:5; Phil 2:5-8 |
| 230 | Isaiah 52:14 | The Servant shockingly abused | Luke 18:31-34; Matthew 26:67-68 |
| 231 | Isaiah 52:15 | Nations startled by message of the Servant | Romans 15:18-21 |
| 232 | Isaiah 52:15 | His blood shed to make atonement for all | Revelation 1:5 |
| 233 | Isaiah 53:1 | His people would not believe Him | John 12:37-38 |
| 234 | Isaiah 53:2 | He would grow up in a poor family | Luke 2:7 |
| 235 | Isaiah 53:2 | Appearance of an ordinary man | Philippians 2:7-8 |
| 236 | Isaiah 53:3 | Despised | Luke 4:28-29 |
| 237 | Isaiah 53:3 | Rejected | Matthew 27:21-23 |
| 238 | Isaiah 53:3 | Great sorrow and grief | Luke 19:41-42 |
| 239 | Isaiah 53:3 | Men hide from being associated with Him | Mark 14:50-52 |
| 240 | Isaiah 53:4 | He would have a healing ministry | Luke 6:17-19 |
| 241 | Isaiah 53:4 | He would bear the sins of the world | 1 Pet 2:24 |
| 242 | Isaiah 53:4 | Thought to be cursed by God | Matthew 27:41-43 |
| 243 | Isaiah 53:5 | Bears penalty for mankind's transgressions | Luke 23:33 |
| 244 | Isaiah 53:5 | His sacrifice would provide peace between man and God | Colossians 1:20 |
| 245 | Isaiah 53:5 | His back would be whipped | Matthew 27:26 |
| 246 | Isaiah 53:6 | He would be the sin-bearer for all mankind | Galatians 1:4 |
| 247 | Isaiah 53:6 | God's will that He bear sin for all mankind | 1 John 4:10 |
| 248 | Isaiah 53:7 | Oppressed and afflicted | Matthew 27:27-31 |
| 249 | Isaiah 53:7 | Silent before his accusers | Matthew 27:12-14 |
| 250 | Isaiah 53:7 | Sacrificial lamb | John 1:29 |
| 251 | Isaiah 53:8 | Confined and persecuted | Matthew 26:47-27:31 |
| 252 | Isaiah 53:8 | He would be judged | John 18:13-22 |
| 253 | Isaiah 53:8 | Killed | Matthew 27:35 |
| 254 | Isaiah 53:8 | Dies for the sins of the world | 1 John 2:2 |
| 255 | Isaiah 53:9 | Buried in a rich man's grave | Matthew 27:57 |
| 256 | Isaiah 53:9 | Innocent and had done no violence | Mark 15:3 |
| 257 | Isaiah 53:9 | No deceit in his mouth | John 18:38 |
| 258 | Isaiah 53:10 | God's will that He die for mankind | John 18:11 |
| 259 | Isaiah 53:10 | An offering for sin | Matthew 20:28 |
| 260 | Isaiah 53:10 | Resurrected and live forever | Mark 16:16 |
| 261 | Isaiah 53:10 | He would prosper | John 17:1-5 |
| 262 | Isaiah 53:11 | God fully satisfied with His suffering | John 12:27 |
| 263 | Isaiah 53:11 | God's servant | Romans 5:18-19 |
| 264 | Isaiah 53:11 | He would justify man before God | Romans 5:8-9 |
| 265 | Isaiah 53:11 | The sin-bearer for all mankind | Hebrews 9:28 |
| 266 | Isaiah 53:12 | Exalted by God because of his sacrifice | Matthew 28:18 |
| 267 | Isaiah 53:12 | He would give up his life to save mankind | Luke 23:46 |
| 268 | Isaiah 53:12 | Grouped with criminals | Luke 23:32 |
| 269 | Isaiah 53:12 | Sin-bearer for all mankind | 2 Corinthians 5:21 |
| 270 | Isaiah 53:12 | Intercede to God in behalf of mankind | Luke 23:34 |
| 271 | Isaiah 55:1 | Everyone come who is thirsty | (New Testament) |
| 272 | Isaiah 55:3 | Resurrected by God | Acts 13:34 |
| 273 | Isaiah 55:4 | A witness | John 18:37 |
| 274 | Isaiah 55:5 | Foreign nations come to God | (all of Acts) |
| 275 | Isaiah 59:15-16 | He would come to provide salvation | John 6:40 |
| 276 | Isaiah 59:15-16 | Intercessor between man and God | Matthew 10:32 |
| 277 | Isaiah 59:20 | He would come to Zion as their Redeemer | Luke 2:38 |
| 278 | Isaiah 60:1-3 | Nations walk in the light | Luke 2:32 |
| 279 | Isaiah 61:1-2 | The Spirit of God upon him | Matthew 3:16-17 |
| 280 | Isaiah 61:1-2 | The Messiah would preach the good news | Luke 4:17-21 |
| 281 | Isaiah 61:1-2 | Provide freedom from the bondage of sin and death | John 8:31-32 |
| 282 | Isaiah 61:1-2 | Proclaim a period of grace | John 5:24 |
| 283 | Isaiah 62:1-2 | Called by an new name | Luke 2:32; Revelation 3:12 |
| 284 | Isaiah 62:11 | Thy King Cometh-Entered Jerusalem on Colt | Matthew 21:7 |
| 285 | Isaiah 63:1-3 | A vesture dipped in blood | Revelation 19:13 |
| 286 | Isaiah 63:8-9 | Afflicted with the afflicted | Matthew 25:34-40 |
| 287 | Isaiah 65:9 | The elect shall inherit | Romans 11:5-7; Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5 |
| 288 | Isaiah 65:17-25 | New heaven/New Earth | 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1 |
| 289 | Isaiah 66:18-19 | All nations come to God | New Testament |
| 290 | Jeremiah 23:5-6 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| 291 | Jeremiah 23:5-6 | The Messiah would be God | John 13:13 |
| 292 | Jeremiah 23:5-6 | The Messiah would be both God and Man | 1 Timothy 3:16 |
| 293 | Jeremiah 30:9 | Born a King | John 18:37; Revelation 1:5 |
| 294 | Jeremiah 31:15 | Massacre of infants | Matthew 2:16-18 |
| 295 | Jeremiah 31:22 | Born of a virgin | Matthew 1:18-20 |
| 296 | Jeremiah 31:31 | The Messiah would be the new covenant | Matthew 26:28 |
| 297 | Jeremiah 33:14-15 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| 298 | Ezekiel 17:22-24 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| 299 | Ezekiel 21:26-27 | The humble exalted | Luke 1:52 |
| 300 | Ezekiel 34:23-24 | Descendant of David | Matthew 1:1 |
| 301 | Daniel 2:34-35 | Stone cut without hands | Acts 4:10-12 |
| 302 | Daniel 2:44-45 | His Kingdom Triumphant | Luke 1:33; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Revelation 11:15 |
| 303 | Daniel 7:13-14 | He would ascend into heaven | Acts 1:9-11 |
| 304 | Daniel 7:13-14 | Highly exalted | Ephesians 1:20-22 |
| 305 | Daniel 7:13-14 | His dominion would be everlasting | Luke 1:31-33 |
| 306 | Daniel 7:27 | Kingdom for the Saints | Luke 1:33; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Revelation 11:15 |
| 307 | Daniel 9:24 | To make an end to sins | Galatians 1:3-5 |
| 308 | Daniel 9:24 | He would be holy | Luke 1:35 |
| 309 | Daniel 9:25 | Announced to his people 483 years to the exact day after the decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem | John 12:12-13 |
| 310 | Daniel 9:26 | Killed | Matthew 27:35 |
| 311 | Daniel 9:26 | Die for the sins of the world | Hebrews 2:9 |
| 312 | Daniel 9:26 | Killed before the destruction of the temple | Matthew 27:50-51 |
| 313 | Daniel 10:5-6 | Messiah in a glorified state | Revelation 1:13-16 |
| 314 | Hosea 3:5 | Israel restored | John 18:37; Romans 11:25-27 |
| 315 | Hosea 11:1; Numbers 24:8 | Flight to Egypt | Matthew 2:14 |
| 316 | Hosea 13:14 | He would defeat death | 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 |
| 317 | Joel 2:28-32 | Promise of the Spirit | Acts 2:17-21; Romans 10:13 |
| 318 | Joel 2:32 | Offer salvation to all mankind | Romans 10:12-13 |
| 319 | Micah 2:12-13 | Israel Regathered | John 10:14, 26 |
| 320 | Micah 4:1-8 | The Kingdom established - place of Birth Bethlehem | Luke 1:33; Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4, 10, 11 |
| 321 | Micah 5:2 | Born in Bethlehem | Matthew 2:1-2 |
| 322 | Micah 5:2 | God's servant | John 15:10 |
| 323 | Micah 5:2 | from everlasting | John 8:58 |
| 324 | Haggai 2:6-9 | He would visit the second Temple | Luke 2:27-32 |
| 325 | Haggai 2:23 | Descendant of Zerubbabel | Luke 3:23-27 |
| 326 | Joel 2:28-32 | Promise of the Spirit | Acts 2:17-21; Romans 10:13 |
| 327 | Amos 8:9 | The Sun Darkened | Matthew 24:29; Acts 2:20; Revelation 6:12 |
| 328 | Amos 9:11-12 | Restoration of tabernacle | Acts 14:16-18 |
| 329 | Habakkuk 2:14 | Earth filled with knowledge of the glory of the Lord | Romans 11:26; Revelation 21:23-26 |
| 330 | Zechariah 2:10-13 | The Lamb on the Throne | Revelation 5:13; 6:9; 21:24 |
| 331 | Zechariah 3:8 | God's servant | John 17:4 |
| 332 | Zechariah 6:12-13 | Priest and King | Hebrews 8:1 |
| 333 | Zechariah 9:9 | Greeted with rejoicing in Jerusalem | Matthew 21:8-10 |
| 334 | Zechariah 9:9 | Beheld as King | John 12:12-13 |
| 335 | Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would be just | John 5:30 |
| 336 | Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would bring salvation | Luke 19:10 |
| 337 | Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would be humble | Matthew 11:29 |
| 338 | Zechariah 9:9 | Presented to Jerusalem riding on a donkey | Matthew 21:6-9 |
| 339 | Zechariah 10:4 | The cornerstone | Ephesians 2:20 |
| 340 | Zechariah 11:4-6 | At His coming Israel to have unfit leaders | Matthew 23:1-4 |
| 341 | Zechariah 11:4-6 | Rejection causes God to remove His protection | Luke 19:41-44 |
| 342 | Zechariah 11:4-6 | Rejected in favor of another king | John 19:13-15 |
| 343 | Zechariah 11:7 | Ministry to "poor" the believing remnant | Matthew 9:35-36 |
| 344 | Zechariah 11:8 | Unbelief forces Messiah to reject them | Matthew 23:33 |
| 345 | Zechariah 11:8 | Despised | Matthew 27:20 |
| 346 | Zechariah 11:9 | Stops ministering to the those who rejected Him | Matthew 13:10-11 |
| 347 | Zechariah 11:10-11 | Rejection causes God to remove protection | Luke 19:41-44 |
| 348 | Zechariah 11:10-11 | The Messiah would be God | John 14:7 |
| 349 | Zechariah 11:12-13 | Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver | Matthew 26:14-15 |
| 350 | Zechariah 11:12-13 | Rejected | Matthew 26:14-15 |
| 351 | Zechariah 11:12-13 | Thirty pieces of silver thrown into the house of the Lord | Matthew 27:3-5 |
| 352 | Zechariah 11:12-13 | The Messiah would be God | John 12:45 |
| 353 | Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah's body would be pierced | John 19:34-37 |
| 354 | Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah would be both God and man | John 10:30 |
| 355 | Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah would be rejected | John 1:11 |
| 356 | Zechariah 13:7 | God's will He die for mankind | John 18:11 |
| 357 | Zechariah 13:7 | A violent death | Matthew 27:35 |
| 358 | Zechariah 13:7 | Both God and man | John 14:9 |
| 359 | Zechariah 13:7 | Israel scattered as a result of rejecting Him | Matthew 26:31-56 |
| 360 | Malachi 3:1 | Messenger to prepare the way for Messiah | Matthew 11:10 |
| 361 | Malachi 3:1 | Sudden appearance at the temple | Mark 11:15-16 |
| 362 | Malachi 3:1 | Messenger of the new covenant | Luke 4:43 |
| 363 | Malachi 3:3 | Our Sins Are Purged | Luke 1:78; John 1:9; 12:46; 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 2:28; 19:11-16; 22:16 |
| 364 | Malachi 4:5 | Forerunner in the spirit of Elijah | Matthew 3:1-2 |
| 365 | Malachi 4:6 | Forerunner would turn many to righteousness | Luke 1:16-17 |
