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Q & A: Free will in Heaven?
While reading Benjamin Warfield’s critique of perfectionism and the attendant descriptions of both justification and sanctification, I received a question from a friend whose son had asked if we will have a free will in Heaven.
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Israel Research Trip, Post #5
Megiddo Introduction. Some scholars date the city of Megiddo from as early as 5000 BC. Of all the sites excavated in Israel, this represents the richest of all.
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Jordan Research Trip, Post #7
Aroer and the Arnon Gorge Most references in the Old Testament to Aroer occur with reference to a fortress on the edge of the Arnon Gorge known also as Wadi Mujib. Such a location fits “crest of a mountain” as the possible meaning of the name Aroer — another possible meaning would be “juniper,” a
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Priceless Treasures in Familiar Settings—Psalm 23:1
Priceless treasures of propositional truth reside in divine Scripture. Priceless, because their value exceeds anything this world has to offer. Treasures, because such truths enrich the soul, infuse life with supreme joy, and produce contentment no amount of earthly treasures can supply.
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Uncommon Wisdom: Old Testament Wisdom Books
Introduction Overall, Old Testament (OT) wisdom books are fairly anthropocentric (man-centered) since they address the issues of everyday living faced by God’s people. That does not mean that they are not also theocentric (God-centered).
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Daniel 8–Focus on a Key Individual
Daniel 7 repeats the same series of six kingdoms as Daniel 2, but uses different figures to represent them. However, Daniel 8 focuses only on the 3rd through the 6th of those kingdoms. Daniel’s prophetic revelation highlights Antiochus Epiphanes as the historico-prophetic springboard.
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Peace-Loving Believers in an Age of Violence, Part 3 (Final)
Three fairly significant biblical examples appear to support a believer’s participation in the military: [1] Jesus’s approval of a king who waged war against wicked people (Matthew 21:33–41). In Luke 3:14 John did not command them to resign from military service, but to be conten
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My Recommendations: Books of the Week, September 17 — Drs. Thomas & Toussaint
On September 5 Dr. Stanley D. Toussaint entered glory and the following day Dr. Robert L. Thomas went to heaven as well. Interestingly, both men were born in 1928 (Dr. Toussaint in Minnesota and Dr. Thomas in Georgia).
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Messianic Hope and the Gentiles–Thinking Through Romans 15:8-13
Romans 15:8-13 provides us with the apostle Paul’s theology of Messianic hope as founded upon the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible. In this significant text he builds upon the revelation of hope about which he speaks in Romans 15:4.
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Messianic Hope and the Gentiles
Even before the creation of the world (1 Peter 1:17–21), God appointed Christ and His perfect sacrifice as the basis for showing mercy to the Gentiles. Through Christ they could experience hope in spite of being strangers to Israel and not being recipients of God’s covenants with
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Identifying the imperatives in Biblical Narratives
Narratives occupy a large portion of the Bible, whether its pages record the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph or the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, or the events surrounding the judges and kings of Israel, or the stories of Ruth or Esther.
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Identifying the Imperatives in Biblical Narratives
Narratives occupy a large portion of the Bible, whether its pages record the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph or the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, or the events surrounding the judges and kings of Israel, or the stories of Ruth or Esther.
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Pentecost Meditation: The Significance of Christ’s Ascensions
Bible readers often pick up on the apparent fact that Jesus ascended more than one time into heaven following His resurrection. Indeed, there appear to be three different ascensions, each accomplishing different purposes.
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What will happen on September 23, 2017?
Dawn breaks on Saturday, September 23, 2017 . . . then what? Some people will spend the entire day looking upward, awaiting the return of Jesus Christ. Why?
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Biblical Genealogies: Begetting a Devotional Reading
What do you do when you come to the book of 1 Chronicles in your Bible reading? Skip?–Jump over genealogies without reading. Skim?–Read the inserted headings, but not the text. Scavenge?–Read only the narrative inserts, like the one about Jabez. Squirm?–Read with distinct discomfort.
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Biblical Genealogies: Begetting a Devotional Reading
You’ve heard it and maybe even said it yourself, “When I get to a genealogy in my Bible reading, I just skip it.” Genealogies (lists of names telling who is related to whom) can be boring and intimidating—especially if you have to read all those hard-to-pronounce names aloud for
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What Books Do You Recommend Most Highly?–Part 2
As I continue to populate my list of books I most highly recommend, I move now to the New Testament commentaries. See What Books Do You Recommend Most Highly? (click on that title–it is a link that will take you to that first post) for the start of the list and the identification of the Old
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Creation–Peripheral Doctrine?
Is the doctrine of creation a peripheral or secondary (or even tertiary) biblical doctrine? Some scholars opine that instantaneous, miraculous, divine creation as a doctrine should be exchanged for natural evolution.
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Continuity: Old Testament Truth in New Testament Clothing
Share One of the benefits of getting older consists of gaining perspective, being able to put the past into its proper place in order to better understand the present. Fifty-four years of studying the Bible also has its benefits—primarily in more clearly understanding the continu
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Elihu and Moses (the Book of Job and Genesis)
Starting in Job 33, Elihu, the youngest of Job’s friends, addresses Job, Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad regarding their erroneous views about God’s character and Job’s problems.
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Revelation 22:6-21–Epilogue
As the Book of Revelation comes to a close, the reader encounters Jesus Christ in a new fashion. Christ Himself speaks, revealing His final promises, instructions, invitation, and injunctions. Here we find His threefold declaration that He is coming back to Earth quickly.
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Revelation 21:9-22:5–The Holy City, The New Jerusalem
The final vision that John receives reveals details concerning the New Jerusalem. Readers normally ask two questions: (1) Does this city exists in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ or in the Eternal State? (2) Who are its citizens?
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Revelation 19:17-21:8–Christ’s Return and Events After His 1,000-Year Kingdom
John writes about the series of events that take place with the Second Advent of Christ: the Great Supper of God, the chaining of Satan, and the 1,000-year reign of Christ in His Kingdom.
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Revelation 19—Rejoicing in Heaven and the Christ’s Return from Heaven
God’s judgment of the harlot Babylon unleashes a wave of Hallelujah choruses in heaven and prepares for the entrance of the bride of Christ. In the nature of prophecy, events occur in staccato-like fashion, one after another—sometimes difficult to determine their exact order.
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Thanksgiving Review of Jesus in Revelation
The Sunday prior to Thanksgiving became, for our class, a time of reflection and Thanksgiving. Our dear friend and church member, Nita Mays, had gone home to be with the Lord just the previous evening. Our beloved Dr. Mays was there in the class. We took time to look again at the Jesus before whom
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Revelation 18–The Judgment of Babylon
When God judges Babylon, its fall will impact all nations, all kings, and all merchants. In the post-Flood world, Babylon became the archenemy of God’s kingdom.
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Revelation 17–The Great Harlot
Mystery, Babylon the Great. Interpretations vary from the Roman Catholic Church to a rebuilt future Babylon. What is this great end times entity to which John devotes two full chapters of the Book of Revelation?
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Revelation 16–The Seven Bowl Judgments
God’s climactic series of judgments against the Man of Sin’s counterfeit kingdom occur one after the other in quick succession. Amazingly, the hardened hearts of the followers of the Man of Sin continue their blasphemies and refuse to repent.
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Revelation 15–The Seven Angels with the Seven Final Plagues
A third great sign will appear in heaven at the time of the seventh trumpet. The sign consists of seven angels with the seven golden bowls containing the final plagues with which God will judge the earth. A crescendo is building up to the destruction of the Man of Sin’s counterfeit kingdom.
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Revelation 14–Five More Messages
The 144,000 appear on Mt. Zion with the Lamb while six angels appear as participants in this scene from the future. This study of Revelation 14 seeks to identify the one sitting on the white cloud wielding a sickle and proposes an explanation for the river of blood as deep as the horses’ bridles.
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Revelation 14–Judgment and Harvest Following the Dominion of the Unholy Trinity on the Earth
The 144,000 appear on Mt. Zion with the Lamb while six angels appear as participants in this scene from the future. This study of Revelation 14 seeks to identify the one sitting on the white cloud wielding a sickle and proposes an explanation for the river of blood as deep as the horses’ bridles.
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Revelation 13:11-18–The Second Beast: The Third Person of the Unholy Trinity
Revelation 13:11-18 reveals the description, deception, and demarcation of the third person in the unholy trinity. This individual, also known as the false prophet, holds a relationship to the first beast (the man of sin) similar to that which the Holy Spirit has to Christ.
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Revelation 13:1-10–The First Beast: The Second Person of the Unholy Trinity
Revelation 13:1-10 reveals the identity, origin, character, imitation, idolatry, and ideology of the second person in the unholy trinity. His head wound provides his opportunity to counterfeit the resurrection of Christ by his own resuscitation at the hands of the dragon whom he serves.
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Revelation 12–The Dragon: The First Person of the Unholy Trinity
The second sign revealed in Revelation 12 consists of the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. He is the first person of an unholy trinity mimicking the divine Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The dragon counterfeits the role of God the Father.
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The Testimony of Jesus
In this sermon we look at the book of Revelation and see that it is much more than just a book about the end times. It is primarily a book about Jesus Christ and it’s main message is the testimony of Jesus – who Jesus is, what He is doing and what He will do.
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How does the doctrine of last things complete the doctrine of first things?
This message was delivered at Impact Bible Conference in New Zealand on June 3, 2011 from various scriptures.