The Big Picture
Several years ago, the pastor of a church in Northern Ireland told me of a seminary professor who advised his students never to read the book of Revelation. “No one can understand…
Several years ago, the pastor of a church in Northern Ireland told me of a seminary professor who advised his students never to read the book of Revelation. “No one can understand…
Deeply rooted within the consciousness of the Jewish people is the belief in the coming of a Messiah. However, time, traditionalism, and tribulation have clouded…
Creativity, liberalism, cultural awareness, and selfies all describe my generation—Generation Y, or the Millennial Generation. But what probably characterizes us…
Psalm 122 is the third of the 15 pilgrim songs known in Hebrew as Psalms of Aliyah, meaning “going up.” Traveling to Jerusalem, especially for the three annual Jewish festivals…
Living in danger was nothing new to my late colleague Zvi Kalisher. He lived in Israel for nearly 70 years and witnessed countless dangers. He often described his situation as…
Not long ago I attended a first-ever conference titled “People of the Land: A Twenty-First Century Case for Christian Zionism” in Washington, DC. It was an evangelical response to…
Blood moons are a beautiful sight. These astronomical anomalies have become a hot topic for both backyard astronomers and Christians who consider them prophetic signs. Are the blood moons signs? Or are they…
Obadiah 17–21: One of the joys of spending time in Israel is the privilege of making wonderful friends. As relationships grow, conversations arise on a variety of topics. Sometimes…
Signs are important to me because I travel a lot, and they point me in the right direction. Biblical signs are somewhat different. Though they point us in the right direction…
Jerusalem occupies a chosen place in the divine plan of the ages, being distinguished as such in the praise of the psalmist: “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of…
Nestled in the terraced Shepherds’ Fields on the approach to Bethlehem is a cave. I expect it is merely one of many where shepherds and townsfolk of bygone days found…
This article provides more examples of God’s distribution of wisdom. Nebuchadnezzar, the crown prince of Babylon, came to Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem in August 605 BC.
The struggle for the land of promise is merely the tip of a large iceberg. It is symptomatic of a far greater struggle between God and His enemy, Satan. The book of Revelation is apocalyptic…
The prophet Jeremiah ministered from 627 to about 585 B.C., more than 100 years after the trauma of Assyria’s destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. Yet the consequences…
Parenting is not easy. Over the years we may excuse some infractions, but we must punish our children’s blatant disobedience. So it was in the days of the prophet Jeremiah. The Israelites…
Many people fail to realize the New Covenant is Jewish. It was given to the Jewish people through the prophet Jeremiah. Jesus ratified it with His blood on Passover, when He went to the…
The prophet Jeremiah served the Lord prior to and during the Babylonian Captivity, warning the Israelites to avoid idolatry or expect judgment. Chapters 32—33 follow the specific…
In Jeremiah 33, the Lord gave Jeremiah a message that all of Judah’s efforts to fight against Babylon will fail miserably (33:1–5); but God will work to bring the nation back to its…
It’s a fact. The deeper archaeologists dig, the more Jewish history they find. With so much physical evidence to support the Bible, it’s amazing so many people remain unresponsive toward…
In 586 B.C. the Babylonians captured Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and deported the Jewish people to Babylon. Only a remnant of poor Judeans were left in the land to…
We’ve all heard the expression “jumping from the frying pan into the fire.” The idiom creates a vivid word picture of attempting to escape a bad situation by throwing oneself…
God’s messages of hope are often embedded in warnings of impending judgment. At the conclusion of Jeremiah’s message to the Jewish inhabitants of Egypt, He promised His Chosen People…
After the destruction of the second Jewish Temple in A.D. 70, a group of rabbis accompanied Rabbi Akiva up to Jerusalem. When they reached Mount…
A correct perspective on world history provides a proper framework for living and prevents us from being easily deceived or led astray. One day, life as…
This week I was preparing to visit an ultra-Orthodox synagogue when my wife, Naomi, said to me, “Zvi, you know I have much trouble with my feet. Please…
We live in a world that is deeply influenced by evolution and supposed scientific theory. To have a rightly ordered life, we must understand (1) God is the Creator…
A few miles from the hubbub of Bethlehem, you can visit a spot where the message of Christmas remains pure and undiluted. Relax, and let this wonderful article take you there!
Sometimes silence is a welcome friend. Sometimes it can be deafening because of what it conveys, such as disapproval. With the final verse of the book of Malachi, the Hebrew…
The first three keys to history are found in the first 2,000 years of the world, from Genesis 1 through 11: creation, corruption, and catastrophe. Genesis 12 holds the fourth…
Are your church leaders in sin? According to Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, if they want your church’s statement of faith to include…
Years ago, as a young Christian attending a large Midwestern university, I slipped into the meeting of a radical group on campus to check it out. A speaker talked about the leftist…
Is life getting you down? Don’t be discouraged. This life is not all there is. Read this, and take heart.
Streets of gold, the Tree of Life, the New Jerusalem. They’re not elements of a fairy tale. They’re real, as this outstanding article explains.
Have you ever heard the expression “the then world”? It comes from 2 Peter 3: For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old…
Few people know more than Jimmy about what’s happening in Israel today to prepare for the third Temple. Excitement is in the air, as you’ll see here.
He moved with grace through the culture of his day. That was Isaiah, a prince of prophets, whom you’ll get to know better through this excellent article.
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a great day it is for believers to rejoice together. The world doesn’t comprehend it, and that’s a pity…
Some say more than one man wrote the book of Isaiah because no one can fore- see the future. Really? Here’s evidence to the contrary.
Higher critics often point to differences within the book of Isaiah to prove their theory of multiple authors and time periods. However, many common themes run throughout the book and argue…
Do you have trouble or heartache in your life? Does the world situation worry you? Then the book of Isaiah should be a great comfort because it makes clear there’s a God…
Some people object to studying prophecy because they claim it is “too deep” and difficult to understand. Nonsense. For example, in Revelation 6:2, the apostle John wrote, “And I looked…
Israel’s economy is booming. Every year thousands of evangelicals around the world contribute to that economy by traveling there. Israel’s demography is growing. Every year evangelicals donate millions of dollars to organizations…
Jesus’ promise to come again was familiar talk to His disciples. That’s because it was connected to a special, joyous occasion expertly described in this article.
For all we can tell, the apostle Paul went to glory unaware that the Messiah’s everlasting Kingdom will begin with a 1,000-year precursor to the endless ages that follow. The Hebrew Scriptures are…
Today Israel is besieged on all sides. It seems like the little Jewish state has noth- ing but enemies. But someday the tide will turn. God has a plan, and here it is.
First the Messiah will level the forces against Him in the Valley of Megiddo. Then He will usher in a new era. If you’re interested in how things will unfold, you’ll love this article.
When Messiah Jesus returns, He will judge the Gentiles to determine who among them will enter the Messianic Kingdom. The prophet Joel identified those being judged using the Hebrew word goyim…
Long life. No disease. Tame animals. These are merely a few characteristics of the Millennium. There are many more, some of which may even surprise you.
For centuries Bible students have been fascinated by the details surrounding the Temple revealed in Ezekiel 40—46. In fact, a major section of the book of Ezekiel is given over…
If you did an Internet search asking the question, “What is heaven like?” you would receive 338 million “hits.” Most people want to know what will happen to them after they die.
Anyone who remembers our War for Independence in 1948 knows about Latrun. It is an area in Israel located on a hilltop on the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem…
Even in the best of times, life can get you down. Perhaps that is why the Psalms are particularly suited to comfort people going through tough times. Who hasn’t been comforted…
The Bible was written by 40 different men over 1,600 years. How do we know it’s God’s Word? Read this article and find out!
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (Jn. 5:39). Housed in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem is a curious…
Now the book of Hebrews moves from the faith of men before the flood to the faith of men in the patriarchal period. The author uses Abraham’s faith to illustrate…
Nehemiah had his work cut out for him. God had promised to return the Jewish people to their land after their captivity in Babylon. And true to His Word, God brought Nehemiah…
New Covenant believers must be careful not to look with disdain on what God did with His people in ages past. In fact, Yahweh proved Himself blindingly gracious under the Old Covenant…
When the United Nations voted to create the independent State of Israel in 1948, most of world Jewry rejoiced. Israel provided a safe haven for thousands of traumatized Jewish Holocaust survivors…
According to Bible prophecy, an inferior empire (symbolized by silver in Daniel 2:31, 39) would replace the gold kingdom of Babylon. The Medo-Persians conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. According to fifth-century…
Consciousness, black holes, “rare antimatter.” These are considered some of the world’s greatest mysteries. But one mystery surpasses them all.
Today Zionism has become a dirty word. Yet if any people should be Zionists, it should be Christians. Here’s why.
The invention of locks and keys is extremely ancient. But it was the Romans, nearly 2,000 years ago, who refined and developed their use. Because togas normally lacked pockets, they created…
History will end with the judgment of all the wicked throughout the ages, a sobering event described by the apostle John in Revelation 20:11–15. This final judgment will occur at the end…
If living in this sin-cursed world gets you down, there’s good news. Satan—the father of lies, deceiver of nations, and despiser of men’s souls—will one day be judged. Although many people…
The grand inauguration of the Messianic Age will begin when Jesus Christ returns to Jerusalem as promised (Zech. 14:4; Acts 1:10–12). The remnant of Israel that will have withstood the Time…
For the past 4,000 years, Satan has incited hatred and persecution of the Jewish people with the objective of annihilating them. This article explains why.
First came the euro, the multinational currency of the European Union. Now something more comprehensive is on the drawing board, and its implementation may be closer than you think.
Who doesn’t want global peace and harmony? Who doesn’t wish to live in a utopia? The day is coming when some people will think they’re getting what they wished for—but they will be dreadfully wrong.
Mark Twain, the famous American author, humorist, narrator, and social observer, had great personal problems with the religionists of his day and many other aspects of the world he occupied…
God and Satan assign powerful angels to influence rulers and nations. Behind the scenes of international events rages supernatural conflict invisible to human eyes. We know this fact from the book…
The word angel appears more than 300 times in God’s Word. So it seems God wants us to know something about angels. This outstanding article explains their number, nature, and other important things.
The Devil (the chief evil spirit) is an intriguing personality. The late comic Flip Wilson made audiences roar with his routine “the Devil made me do it.” Books, songs, and documentaries…
First-century Jewish believers faced some perplexing questions concerning Christ’s high priestly ministry. Why wasn’t He called a priest while here on Earth? How could He be a legitimate high priest and how…
Darius the Mede was appointed king over Babylon in 539 B.C.(Dan. 9:1). In the first year of his reign, the prophet Daniel, by now an old man who had spent…
Although the text of the book of Daniel is the same for Christians and Jews, profound differences exist in its interpretation. If understood literally and historically, the book is easy…
The Jewish prophet Daniel was born to Judean nobility, probably during the time of King Josiah’s reforms (621 B.C.). As a boy, he endured Josiah’s tragic death at the hands…
Some say the unspeakably evil man in Daniel is Antiochus IV only. That is not correct, and here is why.
As a child I loved to read adventures set in the far-flung future or the wild and woolly West. These tales held my interest, especially as the heroes interacted with the villains. Almost every…
One of the more intriguing prophecies in the book of Daniel concerns the final of the four Gentile kingdoms that will rule the world. It is represented in Scripture by legs…
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a dream of an image made of various metals, representing different periods of Gentile world rule (Dan. 2:34–35, 44–45). In the dream, a stone cut without…
Babylon was surrounded by Medo-Persian troops, yet the palace rocked as King Belshazzar hosted a riotous banquet for more than a thousand. Believing the city was impregnable and the food…
As the preacher phrased it in Ecclesiastes, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” (11:1). Well, there may be a twist on the truth…
Although some scholars question the reality of a literal, future Temple, the prophet Ezekiel described it in great detail. He provided its dimensions (Ezek. 40—43) and spoke of a future…
Many people today want to know if we’re living in the last days. There’s an easy way to tell. You just need to know what you’re looking for.
For a king to rule forever, He has to live forever. Faith in Messiah’s resurrection and future reign did not originate with Christianity.
In a Phoenician town called Zarephath, the prophet Elijah was in the home of a widow whose son fell sick and died. Elijah fervently prayed, “O Lᴏʀᴅ my God, I pray…
Matzoh, matzoh, matzoh. There’s plenty of matzoh on Passover tables around the world. But something else is conspicuously absent.
The Romans Road is a familiar term to evangelicals. It refers to a series of verses in the New Testament book of Romans that many use to teach the gospel. Although it is efficient…
Here are two effective ways to obtain a basic biblical understanding of the redemptive ministry of the Messiah. One comes from the New Testament, particularly as compacted in the book…
Hebrews 5:1–14: The tribes of Israel revered the Aaronic high priest. With the exception of Moses, he enjoyed greater access to and fellowship with God than any other Israelite. Although God bestowed…
The consequence of reading the Bible literally is the premillennial vision of a glorious end-times Kingdom established by the glorious return of Jesus to Earth. Amillennialists—those who believe there will be no…
A popular song from the 1960s claimed that all the world needs is love. Love, of course, is fine. However, the world needs much more, such as godly wisdom; integrity…
Today we live in what Jesus referred to as the “times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24). The entire world lies under Gentile domination and has done so since the Babylonians destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem…
Eli was basically a good man. However, God pronounced a terrible judgment on his house, and for good reason. Something had gone wrong, and Eli was not diligent to rectify it.
God has always kept His promises. And the prima facie evidence of His faithful- ness is the experience of His ancient cove- nant people, Israel.
God promised David the kingship over Israel. Yet it took more than 20 years for that promise to be realized. Born in Bethlehem of Judea, David was the youngest of eight sons
The great deluge of Noah’s day did not come without a warning from God. Today researchers studying catastrophic plate tectonics present a flood model that is nothing less than horrific.
World history is boring!” Did you ever hear such a thing? I know I did. Why learn the names of people and places you never heard of? What difference does it make?
Samuel’s sons did not walk with the Lord. Therefore, the people wanted a king who would rule over them and fight their battles (1 Sam. 8:19–20). They wanted to be just like other nations.
Tell 10 Jewish people they are the Chosen People of God and at least half will reply, “I wish He had chosen someone else!” While such an example of Jewish wit is amusing…