Jerusalem: In the Eye of the Storm Zechariah 12
No man-made treaties will end this world’s bitter fight over Jerusalem. God will end it Himself—in a most definitive and remarkable way.
No man-made treaties will end this world’s bitter fight over Jerusalem. God will end it Himself—in a most definitive and remarkable way.
Repentance and an end to sin, idolatry, and false prophets all await Israel in the spectacular final days before the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom.
Is it wrath or blessing? Is it one day or many? Actually, the Day of the Lord contains all these components, as this outstanding article clearly explains.
Someday God Himself will return to this planet to set up an eternal, unrivaled Kingdom. What will it be like? Here is a biblical glimpse into that glorious time.
Micah 5:1–15: For centuries, Jewish people have looked for the Messiah to deliver them from Gentile oppression, secure for them the land of Israel…
God never makes promises He doesn’t keep. And He will keep these.
Micah 4:1-13: Many questions must have troubled King Hezekiah and the leaders of Judah when they heard Micah preach of the nation’s impending demise. After all, if Judah were destroyed, how would God fulfill the irrevocable promises
Micah 3:1-12: In the book of Micah, God holds Judah’s leaders responsible and accountable for their abuse of the underprivileged. Earlier, Micah condemned those who used the nation’s legal system to defraud people of their property…
Micah 2:1-13: God gave the Jewish people the land of Canaan as an everlasting inheritance. However, their uninterrupted possession of it was conditioned on the nation walking in God’s ways and keeping His commandments. Failure…
Did you know that every promise in the Book doesn’t belong to the church? Actually, most of them belong to Israel.
The Bible tells us what it will take to destroy the Jewish people. And it tells us when God finally will say to Himself, “I’ve had enough of them!”
Many people say God is finished with Israel and that He has given all Israel’s blessings to the church. But the Bible tells a different story.
Micah 1:1-16: One of the brightest and yet darkest periods of Judah’s history came in the eighth century B.C. Although the prosperity of Uzziah’s kingdom (790–740 B.C.) was still being felt in the days of his son…
Some waited for years and were sure when they saw Him. Others are still waiting. Can we truly identify “he that should come”? Yes!
How can we know that Jesus’ claims about Himself are true? Examine man’s twofold dilemma and God’s gracious, twofold solution.
Many great doctrines of Christianity appeared first in the Old Testament. Come to the Psalms for a look at Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and return.
Hosea 14:1-9: It is never easy for people to confess their mistakes. Whether it is a spouse seeking to rebuild a marriage or an individual seeking redemption from God, admitting blame usually is difficult. And it was difficult…
Two children, two promises. The road has not been easy for Isaac’s seed, but neither has it been a bed of roses for the descendants of Ishmael.
Hosea 13:1-16: Although nations do not intentionally commit suicide, Israel was headed that way. Gross idolatry insulted the covenant relationship God had established with the Israelites, and their ingratitude toward Him for His grace and goodness had…
A day is coming when people of all nations will go up to Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles—and woe to them if they don’t go!
Hosea 12:1-14: Two young boys were fighting in the park. A man took one of the boys aside and began to spank him for his inappropriate behavior. An observant bystander indignantly asked the man…
Works cannot carry you to heaven. But that doesn’t mean they count for nothing when you get there.
The Tribulation will be a terrible time on Earth, but not everyone who survives it will be blessed by what comes afterward.
Not all judgments occur in the end-times. In fact, you may be in the midst of one right now!
If you think “Judgment Day” is just a joke, you don’t know much about the Great White Throne.
Hosea 11:1-12: Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the United States Senate, once wrote, “There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, nor is there anything you can do to make God love you…
Sin is like a moral cancer, infecting everything it touches. If you do not deal with it, it will corrupt you totally. What is true of moral corruption in man is also true in nations.
The world may be “shrinking,” but financial debt is rising. The combination is a prescription for bankruptcy—and fulfillment of prophecy.
A new world order is indeed in the making, with summits, treaties, and agreements all prepared. And none embrace the tenets of biblical Christianity.
They’re almost there. A “United States of Europe” is looming on the horizon with a parliament that is growing stronger every day. Just one key element is missing.
Hosea 9:1-17: One of the greatest paintings of all time is Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment. The entire work, painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, reflects the despair of people who are marked for judgment.
Hosea 8:1-14: Few things are more destructive than a tornado. Its funnel-shaped wind can swirl up to 500 miles per hour, devastating everything in its path. The mere sight of the cloud is usually terrifying…
Since Israel rejected Jesus Christ and His offer of God’s theocratic Kingdom, the theocratic Kingdom was not established with the nation of Israel that existed at the time of Christ’s First Coming.
Hosea 7:1-16: It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Yet in this chapter of Hosea, the prophet uses a number of similes and metaphors to paint a vivid picture of Israel’s pursuit…
In the previous article, we saw that Christ offered the future theocratic Kingdom to Israel and told the nation what it must do for the Kingdom to be established. He offered the Kingdom through…
Confused by the many views on the Rapture? This illuminating article will help you understand what the Scriptures teach about this exciting event.
Is the idea that the Lord can return at any moment just wishful thinking? Read this article and learn what the Bible has to say about imminency.
Gone in an instant! How can that be? But it can be, and it has happened before.
When the Lord returns to take His church, the world will become a very different—and frightening—place to live.
Hosea 6:1-11: A doctor once stated, “Three hundred of my patients, when notified they were dying, repented of their sins and professed faith in God. Once they were restored to health, only ten of the three hundred…
The gospel of the Kingdom contained nothing about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, the gospel defined in 1 Corinthians 15 focused on His death, burial, and resurrection and said nothing about…
Hosea 5:1-15: Batsell B. Baxter tells of a huge painting hanging in the Supreme Court Building of Switzerland. In the foreground are the litigants who have come to the court seeking justice.
Israel’s existence defies logic; yet there she stands. This excellent article explains the invincibility and eternality of the Jewish people.
In the previous article, we noted that the Kingdom of God has at least two aspects, or expressions: the universal and the theocratic. The universal Kingdom is the rule of God administered directly or indirectly…
Hosea 4:1-19: Sowing and reaping is an immutable law of nature. This law holds true in both the spiritual and moral realms of life. During the reign of King Jeroboam II, seeds of spiritual adultery and moral…
When Jesus Christ was on earth during His First Coming, He said “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk. 1:15); and He taught His disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Mt. 6:10).
Like pieces of an intricate puzzle, Daniel’s ancient prophecies are falling into place. The “fire” is coming—and so is the King.
Through two dreams, God unveiled the rise and fall of the greatest empires in the world, including the one that is on the way.
A one-world ruler awaits mankind. What will he be like? Learn what God told the prophet Daniel about him 2500 years ago.
Tribulation, suffering, affliction. No one wants them. But they serve their purpose—and the best is yet to come.
Take an in-depth look at the seventy weeks of Daniel and God’s six goals for the people of Israel.
Hosea 3:1-5: How many people would be willing to buy back their own possessions? In all probability, not many. The average person today, it seems, would be more likely to spend twice as much money going to…
In the previous article, we noted that Jesus Christ (Mt. 19:28) and the apostles Peter (Acts 3:19-21) and Paul (Rom. 8:19-22) foretold that nature will be restored to its original pre-fall condition when Christ…
The apostle Paul evidenced surprise when the first generation of Christians began to pass away. Today the second millennium of church history is about to give way to a third. Well might witnessing saints in glory be whispering…
If there is one question that seems to come up more than any other these days, it is this one: “Do you believe that the coming of the Lord is really near?” For almost 2,000 years believers have been looking forward to that…
On the 31st of this month, at the stroke of midnight, the world will finally enter the much-awaited Year 2000. Will automatic teller cards still work? Will electricity still flow? Will America conduct business as usual, or will the Y2K…
Two thousand years ago the Mediterranean world belonged to the Roman Empire. This empire stretched from Britain in the northwest to what is now Morocco in the southwest, and it proceeded east across North Africa and southern Europe to…
Hosea 2:2–23: Today in America, the divorce rate is at an all-time high. Most people view fidelity, chastity, and commitment differently than they did a generation ago. In the past, those who entered matrimony dedicated themselves…
Matthew 19:28 records a prophecy Christ delivered to His apostles: “Verily I say unto you that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve…
Hosea 1:2—2:1: Hosea’s marriage to Gomer and the birth of their children become the texts of God’s message to Israel. Israel’s unfaithfulness is portrayed in Gomer’s infidelity, and the removal of God’s covenant relationship…
This earth began with God’s theocracy as its government, but the theocracy was lost through the Satan-prompted fall of mankind. If God does not restore His theocratic kingdom rule before this earth’s history comes to an end, then Satan…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,” wrote Charles Dickens…
Jesus Christ will play the key role in crushing Satan. His work of redemption through His death on the cross in His First Coming gives Him the authority to do this future work as mankind’s Kinsman-Redeemer (Heb. 2:14; 1 Jn. 3:8). Seven years before…
Revelation 22:6–21: All the purposes of God, from the inception of creation to the close of human history, have been completed. Christ has assumed His sovereign rule and reign over creation and has restored creation to the original…
In Revelation 4 and 5, where John was introduced to things that “must” take place in the future (4:1), the apostle saw Christ take a scroll from the hand of God the Father. The scroll was sealed with seven seals. Christ took the scroll…
Revelation 21:9—22:5: To most people, the thought of home brings a feeling of warmth and comfort, a sense of security. It is a place where one can shut out the cares of this world and find a refuge for the soul during the pilgrimage…
“God created man in his own image” and gave him dominion “over all the earth,” including its plant and animal life (Gen. 1:26–29). The fact that God gave mankind this dominion reveals the original form of government that He ordained…
Revelation 21:1–8: The subject of eternity piques people’s interest as no other theme in Scripture. People intuitively know that there is a more fulfilling existence beyond this life because the transitory events on earth do not satisfy. But…
On November 19, 1997, something extraordinary happened. Bobbi McCaughey of Carlisle, Iowa, gave birth to seven healthy babies. With the news of the successful septuple deliveries, the world seemed to pause and reflect in…
The Jewish writings have much to say about the Messiah. Very little, however, is written about His identifying characteristics, aside from His being from the family of David and bringing peace. Gershom Scholem agreed with this when he wrote…
The clearest declaration about the historical facts of the Christian gospel is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures…
In this well-known carol, “Joy to the World,” Isaac Watts expressed the thrill of the Messiah’s birth by describing events that just don’t seem to exist. I still weed garden beds and prick myself on thorns. The curse has not been lifted. The nations of…
Revelation 20:11–15: On July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards held the manuscript so close to his face that the congregation was unable to see his expression as…
Revelation 20:1–10: Mr. U Thant, former Secretary General of the United Nations, addressed 67 scholars and statesmen on the requirements for world peace. He asked these questions: “What element is lacking so that with all our skill and all our knowledge…
Revelation 19:11–21: Christ’s Second Coming is a major doctrine throughout the Bible. It is the most dominant theme in the New Testament, next to the subject of faith. Christ’s return, put simply, is the personal, physical, visible return of…
Like a flickering candle caught in a gale, so is mankind’s attempt to fathom the depths of God’s ways. The finite mind of man is unable to grasp the ways of an infinitely more intelligent God. Yea, without His help, it is an impossible task destined for…
In 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, the Apostle Paul confidently asserts that “the gospel” he taught was that “Christ [the Messiah] died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to…
The Servant of the Lord is a major theme in the Book of Isaiah. An understanding of this term is germane in grasping the meaning of God’s redemptive program for Israel. The book identifies men such as Isaiah himself, Eliakim, and David…
In Philippians 2:7, the Apostle Paul stated that Jesus Christ “made himself of no reputation.” The verb translated “made of no reputation” is ekenosen. Theologians have used the major part of that verb to form the term kenosis. As a result…
Revelation 19:1–10: On March 23, 1743, The Messiah was performed for the first time in London, England. In attendance was the King of England. He was deeply moved as the “Hallelujah Chorus” was being sung, and at the words…
Squeezing Israel to make concessions to belligerent Gentile nations, whether they happen to be Arabs or others, falls into precise alignment with what is laid out in the prophetic Scriptures. The last days will be tumultuous times for the Jewish people…
If you ask someone to name the founder of Christianity, he or she will probably reply, “Jesus Christ.” Most people think that Jesus was His first name and Christ was His last name. The word Christ, however, is not a name—it is a title. It means Messiah. Therefore…
The beauty and grandeur of the Temple complex testified to the majesty of the God of Israel. Its intended impression on the Israelites was that God was so holy that He was virtually unapproachable. The Temple was laid out so that Gentiles, Jewish women…
Ignoring warnings can result in catastrophic consequences. The Apostle Peter, in every way possible, attempted to prepare believers for the tumultuous last days and the onslaught of deception and error that Satan will launch before his final plunge…
Revelation 17:7–18: The woman sitting on the scarlet-colored beast was a spectacle to behold. John marveled at her ostentatious dress, idolatrous practices, murder of defenseless saints, and alliance with pagan Rome. Understanding John’s great wonderment…
Revelation 17:1–7: Lying silently in the shifting sands of time, Babylon is destined to rise from the ashes of the past to play a major role in end-time events. The name Babylon brings to mind incredible images of a wicked city-state with an abominable…
In Chapter 15, John was given a detailed introduction to the bowl judgments. He saw seven angels proceeding from God’s heavenly Temple with seven bowls in hand, ready to pour out God’s wrath upon the earth.
Two Old Testament passages that did this will be noted. Isaiah 9:6 assigned the names “The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father” to the Messiah. Ancient Judaism recognized that this referred to the Messiah.
People have it all wrong these days. Repeatedly we hear men and women talk calmly about their “near death” experiences, about seeing that inviting, great white light at the end of the tunnel.
Many successful businesses engage their employees in an annual ritual known as the “year-end formal performance review.” On those occasions, a manager sits down with an employee, report in hand, and surveys…
The recurrent hatred of Jewry throughout its existence is an enigma—a people so small in number yet so central on the pages of world history. The benefits of the Jewish people to the masses…
As long as I don’t hurt anyone, whatever I do is just fine.” Such proverbs abound in our day. Morality is defined by personal opinions. Courts pass laws based on majority vote or popular consensus.
Revelation 15, although short in length, is not short in significance or importance. It provides a needed introduction to the final phase of God’s wrath. In this chapter John was given two glorious visions from…
The subject of Christ’s eternality deals with the fact that He has always existed as a person from eternity past, with no beginning and no end. The Scriptures give at least three lines of evidence…
A number of years ago I had in my library a book titled Great Chapters of the Bible. The author was the late Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, a renowned British biblical scholar and pastor.
Of the many imaginative discourses offered by the Talmudic rabbis is one based on Genesis 28:12.
Ezekiel 36:8–15 Israel is the key in God’s prophetic program among the nations of the world, for it was chosen to be His means of bringing blessing to the world.
Ezekiel 36:16–24 A few years ago a survey was taken to determine which events cause the greatest stress on a family. It was discovered that, next to the death of a spouse…
Ezekiel 36:22–38 In the beginning, God planned a beautiful creation. He created seas and a place of lush vegetation. He made creatures to inhabit the seas and the dry land.