The Jerusalem Road
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…
PROPHECY
Bible Portrait of the Messiah
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…
Christ Is Superior to Aaron
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…
Not As Good As It Gets
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…
He Cannot Deny Himself
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…
Israel: Still the Apple of God’s Eye Part Three
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…
Goodbye, Eli
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’s Precious Promises
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.
From Shepherd to King
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
Eight Survive!
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.
His Shepherd Cyrus
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?
The High Price of Disobedience
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.
Bound for Babylon
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…
The Incomparable Christ
Hebrews 1:1–3: Hebrews is without question one of the greatest and most important books in the New Testament. In it the writer presented an in-depth study of both the deity and humanity of Jesus the Messiah…
Isaiah 53 and the Messiah of Israel Part Two
Who is the Servant of the Lord presented in Isaiah 53? The answer is critical to understanding the great price God paid for our redemption. Some believe Isaiah 53 does…
Jonah’s Prayer and Promise
Jonah 1:7—2:10: In February 1891, the crew of the whaling ship Star of the East harpooned a sperm whale. In its death throes, the whale swallowed a man by the name of James Bartley. A day…
El Shaddai: The Angel of the Lord
We have seen that El Shaddai is the person of the Godhead whom people can see and still live. In Genesis 18 He came to Abraham, looking like an ordinary…
A Look at the Big Picture
Satan is at war with God. And if you can understand this war, you’ll understand the entire drama of human history.
The Rapture
At least seven years before He sets His feet on planet Earth once again, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven. The bodies of Christians who have died during the Church Age…
The Tribulation
More than 37 million people died during World War I. Another 62 million died in World War II. Despite the horror of those numbers, they are miniscule compared to the billions…
The Faithful Remnant
To most people, the word remnant means something that is left over. Leftovers aren’t usually thought of positively. One thinks of leftover food, a sock that missed the laundry, or screws…
One God, Three Entities Part Two
In his 13 basic principles, renowned Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (1135–1205), also known as Maimonides and the great Rambam, replaced the Hebrew word ehad (“one”) with yahid (“only one”) to describe…
Ezekiel the Man
Ezekiel, whose name means “God strengthens,” was born in 627 B.C. to a priestly family in Judah. His father’s name was Buzi (Ezek. 1:3). Ezekiel was married (24:18), owned a house…
Hallowed Be Your Name Ezekiel 36
The Israelites profaned God’s holy name and have suffered ever since. But their story does not end there, because God has a perfect plan that will glorify Him.
Just As He Promised Ezekiel 39:21–29
The Jewish people, like many others, have struggled to trust God. Do their failures mean He has forsaken them? His Word has the answer.
War: What Is It Good For? Ezekiel 38:1—39:16
God’s prophetic Word reveals much about war, particularly the great, future battle involving Gog and Magog.
One God, Three Entities Part One
The prayer of the Shema (“Hear, O Israel,” Dt. 6:4) has always been the fundamental declaration of faith of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. In one short…
Israel’s Glorious Kingdom
Zechariah 14:8–15: As Zechariah’s prophecy neared its conclusion, the prophet described a number of physical changes that will take place in Israel immediately prior to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. Israel’s topography…
Messiah’s Glorious Return
Zechariah 14:1–7: Zechariah closed his prophetic predictions with a sweeping consummation of Israel’s future. The prophet described three major events that will take place: (1) a future invasion of Jerusalem during the Great…
Israel’s Defilement Removed
Zechariah 13:1–9: In the previous chapter, we saw God pour out His grace on Israel, resulting in the nation’s redemption, its reconciliation to God, and its renewed covenant relationship with Him. In chapter 13, Zechariah…
Israel’s Salvation
Zechariah 12:1–14: Will Israel survive the hatred and unceasing persecution that has plagued it for centuries? Although it faces a cauldron of unrelenting conflict, Israel will survive the world’s attempts to annihilate it. The last…
Israel’s Rejected Shepherd
Zechariah 11:1–17: In Zechariah 9 and 10, the Messiah is revealed as a compassionate Shepherd who will someday reunite and restore Israel. The revelation greatly encouraged Israel, but the good news was quickly dispelled…
Israel’s Messianic Shepherd
Zechariah 10:1–12: In the previous chapter, the Lord is pictured as a shepherd who saves Israel, and Israel becomes “the flock of His people” (9:16). Israel’s redemption will take place when the nation…
Jordan’s Disengagement Connection
As the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in August forcibly evacuated Jewish settlers and their families from the communities where they had lived, many of them for more than 30 years…
Israel’s Messianic King
Zechariah 9:9–17: When Alexander the Great conquered the Middle East, he did not lay siege to Jerusalem. The Jewish people survived his conquest because God kept His promise to protect the city (9:8).
Red Skies Over the Temple Mount
The most hotly contested piece of real estate in the world is the Temple Mount. Today three ominous trends threaten the area.
Israel’s Glorious Restoration
Zechariah 8:1–23: In the previous chapter, a delegation from Bethel questioned the necessity of continuing to fast over the destruction of Solomon’s Temple. Zechariah did not address the issue directly; instead, he used the question to reflect…
Emerging Shadows of the Hammer and Sickle
When the Soviet Union collapsed, America breathed easier. “Russia is vanquished,” we said. Well, folks, it’s time to reevaluate our thinking.
Perusing the Future Matthew 24:1–14
Some people believe the Olivet Discourse has already been fulfilled. This excellent article explains why they are wrong.
Understanding the Olivet Discourse
Jesus’ instruction to His disciples from the Mount of Olives (Mount Olivet, giving it the name the Olivet Discourse) appears in Matthew 24—25; Mark 13; and Luke 17:20–37. It is one of the Bible’s most…
The Time of Jacob’s Trouble Matthew 24:15–31
There’s no mystery about what the future holds. The Old and New Testaments fit together like a hand in a glove to reveal what is to come.
Illustrations From the King Matthew 24:32–51
Learn what Jesus meant when He answered the question, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Finding Eden
Long ago, in the misty echoes of ancient time, there was a first man and a first woman. They walked in the cool, green shade, surrounded by lush, fruitful trees and benevolent beasts. The region…
The Lamb in the Apocalypse
Students of Scripture have long observed that the central message of God’s Word is reflected in the motif of the Lamb, who is Jesus. The Lamb in the Old Testament is seen on the altar. In…
Making the Wrong Assumptions
Never assume anything.” This well-known adage works particularly well when applied to the science of biblical interpretation. Assuming too much about a scriptural text can lead to inaccurate conclusions that miss…
Staying Alive
In answering their questions regarding future events, Jesus gave His disciples a ray of hope: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Mt. 24:13). What did He mean? The key is the phrase…
False Teachers
False teachers can pose a health hazard. Perhaps you remember some from our own time. On November 19, 1978, 913 followers of Jim Jones committed suicide at the People’s Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, by drinking…
Fasting Without Fidelity
Zechariah 7:1–14: A delegation from Bethel arrived in Jerusalem seeking counsel from priests and prophets concerning fasting. They asked whether the annual fast commemorating the destruction of Solomon’s Temple should be continued since a rebuilt…
From Throne to Scrub Mop Lamentations 1
Sin has dire consequences, both for individuals and nations. This insightful article on Lamentations 1 examines what Judah’s sin wrought.
The Measure of Success
They called it the dungeon of malchiah, but it was actually an abandoned cistern near the center of the prison courtyard in Jerusalem (Jer. 38:6). The floor was a slimy quagmire covered…
Awaiting a ‘Song in the Night’ Lamentations 3
The southern kingdom of Judah was in trouble with God. About a century earlier, the Lord had allowed the Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom of Israel. That event should have served as a graphic…
Bring Us Back to You, O Lord Lamentations 4—5
You’ll feel as though you were in Jerusalem in 586 b.c. as you explore Lamentations 4—5 and the anguish of the Roman destruction.
Nebuchadnezzar: A ‘King of Kings’
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a tremendous impact on the nation of Israel and the history of the ancient Near East. He is referred to by name over 90 times in the Old Testament…
Babylon
Babylon. The very name inspires all types of hedonistic, dissolute images of not only a city, but an attitude of rebellion against God and all that is righteous and good.
Messiah’s Coronation and Reign
Zechariah 6:1-15: What a long night Zechariah must have experienced. He had already received seven apocalyptic visions unveiling Israel’s future, and the eighth was soon to come. This final vision would reveal God’s judgment of the nations…
Expecting a Call at Any Moment
Are you looking for the undertaker or the “uppertaker”? Theological complexities certainly do exist. But the vast majority of the Bible is unmistakably simple.
A.D. 70: Preterism’s Prophetic Dead End
Christ returned in A.D. 70, the Jewish people have no future, and almost all prophecy has been fulfilled. You don’t believe that? Then you’re not a preterist.
The Rise of Preterism
Preteristic interpretation first appeared in a commentary on Revelation by the Spanish Jesuit Luis Alcazar (1554–1613). He interpreted symbols in Revelation as the victory of the Roman Catholic Church over paganism…
Israel’s Wickedness Removed
Zechariah 5:1–11: Zechariah’s first five visions greatly encouraged and comforted the Jewish remnant returning from Babylon. They revealed that the lord would return to Jerusalem with mercy, give Israel victory over its enemies, reestablish and enlarge Jerusalem…
The Babylonian Captivity
God always keeps His promises, even the unpleasant ones. The issues surrounding this captivity will take you from mere history to important theology.
Tisha B’Av — Israel’s Day of Tragedies
People often have days when nothing, absolutely nothing, goes right. The Jewish people have such a date, when so many tragedies occurred that they established a national day of sadness, fasting, mourning, and remembrance.
The Second World Empire
After the Babylonian Empire, Media-Persia took over. This outstanding article sorts out that kingdom’s rulers and what they accomplished.
Daniel and Darius
Daniel in the lions’ den (Dan. 6) is probably one of the best-known accounts in the Bible. It’s the encouraging, satisfying triumph of faith, righteousness, and justice over wickedness and evil in high places.
The Exiles Return
God may have removed the Jewish people from their land, but He faithfully brought them back. Learn how He did it and who He used.
The Ten ‘Lost’ Tribes Weren’t Lost
The phrase the lost tribes of Israel emits a certain ring of mystery that romanticizes the disappearance of the Israelites taken captive by Assyria in 722 B.C. Although the phrase is nowhere in Scripture…
Vision Four: Israel’s Cleansing
God specifically chose Israel to be a holy nation in which He could manifest His grace and truth to mankind (Ex. 19:5–8). Failing to live up to her elective calling, Israel committed gross immorality…
Ezra the Teacher
Ezra, a Levitical priest and scribe (Ezra 7:6–11), exercised a central role in rebuilding the spiritual condition of the Jewish people who returned from Babylon (Ezra 7—10). How was he equipped for such a task?
The Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem
From the moment the Lord formed the nation of Israel after the Exodus, He desired to dwell with His people as their King. Hence, the Tabernacle was built; and the Lord’s Glory indwelled it…
The Sons of Ishmael
Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant. His name, which in Hebrew means “God heard,” memorializes the Almighty’s concern for Sarah’s harsh treatment of Hagar (Gen. 16:6, 11).
God is Glorious Conclusion
The previous article examined two ways in which God has manifested His glory during history: (1) through His created universe and (2) through unique, historic events. This article will examine two more ways.
The Invasion by Gog and Magog
Son of man, set thy face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against…
Conversions Wont Hasten Christ’s Coming
True, Bible-believing Christians are commanded to make salvation through Jesus known to all (Mt. 28:19–20). Jesus Himself gave that mandate, called the Great Commission, after His resurrection and prior to His ascension into heaven.
Miracle Mother Conclusion
Logically speaking, the State of Israel should not exist. Five fully armed Arab nations tried to snuff it out at birth in 1948. Nevertheless, with few weapons; no air force; no navy; and an “army”…
Anti-Zionism or Anti-Semitism—By Any Name, The Game’s the Same
No matter how attractively you wrap garbage, it still reeks. And despite clever repackaging, “anti-Zionism” still smells like Hitler’s “final solution.”
The Second Jerusalem Council
Church split are words that make us shudder. A split almost occurred in the early church. See how the church avoided it and grew instead.
The Passover Lamb
“Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). Using clear imagery rooted deeply in the Jewish experience, God identified His servant the Messiah as a lamb…
Nineveh’s Demise
Nahum 3:1-19: Assyria’s unrelenting violence, extortion, and brutality are well documented in the records of its history. More important, however, God kept track of such savagery; and He judged it. In chapter 3 Nahum continued his vivid description…
The More Things Change…
For thousands of years the world has produced people eager to destroy the nation of Israel. But the conflict is far greater than it appears.
Road Map to Armageddon
The PLO holds every terrorist record on the books, and Arafat has violated every agreement he ever made with Israel. What kind of “peace” lies ahead?
Is the Quartet Fiddling the Same Old Tune?
Despite Israel’s unfaltering devotion to America, some feel Bush’s Road Map plan is selling Israel down the river.
Fighting ‘World War IV’
Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey has an interesting slant on world events. As far as he’s concerned, World War III is over.
Nineveh’s Destruction
Nahum 2:1-13: On March 19, 2003, a coalition of the United States and more than thirty-five countries implemented a preemptive strike against Iraq to disarm it of weapons of mass destruction. Twenty-six hundred years ago…
A Widow’s Christmas
The worst Christmas I ever had was the year my first husband died. It wasn’t the loneliness that did me in; it was the self-pity. As a young widow, I was faced with raising my four-year-old…
Declaring Nineveh’s Destruction
Nahum 1:1-15: In the days of the prophet Nahum, Nineveh was at the height of its glory. Its influence through trade, culture, and political conquest extended from Egypt to the Persian Gulf. The city was built by Nimrod…
The Seeker Conclusion
It isn’t a good time to be Jewish these days. In Israel, Jews are being murdered almost daily by Arabs determined to remove them from the tiny sliver of land they still have left in the Middle East…
Running From God Jonah 1
You may know the story of Jonah and the fish. But do you know what Jonah’s disobe dience implied about the God of Israel? Read this article and find out.
Amazing Grace Jonah 2
If you’re a believer, then this article is especially for you . . . and for anyone else who may be in danger of presuming on the wonderful, amazing grace of God.
Doom and Deliverance Jonah 3
The Ninevites were bad, real bad. But God spared them. Why? Because they did the one thing God requires for deliverance—even today.
The Angry Prophet Jonah 4
Jonah was bitter, selfish, angry, and a poor excuse for a man of God. Unfortunately, he was not much different than many of us.
God’s Judgment Against Judah
Micah 6:1-16: In chapter six of Micah, God brings litigation against the people of Judah, charging them with gross immorality and idolatry. Judah is the defendant, and the Lord is both the prosecuting attorney and judge. Prosecution Revealed…
God is Sovereign Part One
Previously we examined the senselessness and consequences of idol worship. Here we will examine spheres that are subject to the sovereignty of the true and living God. Angels God’s significant relationships with the angels…
Jesus Is Better Than…
Few people like change. But imagine what it would have been like if you had been told to forget the Old Covenant and cling to something new.
The Only Priest We Need
In days of old, the Jewish high priest ministered before the Lord. Learn what he did—and how Christ does so much more.
A Future Hope for Israel
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
What Events in Israel Mean to the United States
Israel has a role unlike any other nation in the world. This outstanding article explains what America’s response should be to events in the Middle East.
Micah’s Call for Justice
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…
The Origin and Fall of Satan
Lucifer, “the anointed cherub that covereth,” became the evil “god of this age”—the enemy of Jehovah. Learn what happened and why?
Satan’s World Strategy
Satan’s dominion may be invisible. But if you know where to look, you’ll be astounded to see how much he controls . . . and how he controls it.
The Satanic Trinity
As if one evil being weren’t enough, the Bible teaches that in the last days, there will be three—a pseudotrinity—that will take over the world.
The Many Masks of Satan
If you think Satan appears like the caricatures of him, with horns and a red tail, think again. More often than not, he appears as the “noblest” among us.