The Mark of the Beast (Main article)
CONTENTS
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Book of Daniel
Book of Revelation
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Other Topics |
BOOK OF DANIEL
The Antichrist (Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 11) |
Daniel 2
The foundation of all prophecy – Daniel 2 sets the stage to identify the Antichrist. It divides world history into six eras that serve as the framework for interpreting Daniel’s later prophecies.
Daniel 7
The four beasts symbolize four consecutive empires. The ten horns of the fourth beast are ten concurrent kingdoms formed when the fourth beast fragments. However, the main character is the eleventh horn that becomes the Antichrist.
The Fourth Beast
This article identifies the four animals of Daniel 7 by comparing them to the animals of Daniel 8, which 8:20-21 explicitly identifies as the Medo-Persian and Greece. This identifies the fourth kingdom as the Roman Empire. Consequently, the Antichrist grows out of that empire.
The 11th horn
In 380, the Roman Empire made Nicene theology its State Religion and outlawed all other views. After the Empire fragmented over the following centuries, the Roman Church survived to become the Church of the Middle Ages.
The Horn of Daniel 8
This article gives an overview of Daniel 8 and describes three alternative interpretations of this evil power.
Out of One of Them
In Daniel 8, the horn emerges “out of one of them.” Does this Horn come out of one of the four Greek horns?
The Vile Person of Daniel 11
Liberal scholars believe that Antiochus IV was the Antichrist ‘foretold’ by Daniel. However, he was only a type of a later and much greater Antichrist.
Antiochus IV
While there are many similarities, this article outlines several differences between Daniel’s Antichrist and Antiochus. He does not fit the profile.
Daniel 9 |
Summary
This article gives an overview of the 490 years-prophecy, discusses the major points of dispute, and analyzes the four major alternative interpretations.
Introduction
Overview of the prophecy and its major alternative interpretations
The Decree
The 490 years begin with a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Dan 9:25). This article evaluates five possible decrees.
Purpose of the 490 Years
The 490 years were an extension of God’s covenant with Israel.
End of the 490 years
The 490 years did not end at the Cross but a few years later when the Jews also rejected the Holy Spirit that had been sent with extraordinary power specifically to Israel.
The Seven Last Years
Who confirms what covenant with whom during the last seven years?
The Destruction
What is destroyed in Daniel 9:27? The context, the poetic pattern, the chiasm, and the repetition of concepts provide the answer.
Sequence of Events
The prophecy does not describe events in chronological sequence; it alternates between two foci: Jerusalem and the Messiah.
The Six Goals
When will the six goals for the 490 years in verse 24 be fulfilled?
When will the Messiah appear?
Translations differ due to different assumptions about punctuation. Consequently, some say the Messiah will appear after 49 years, others after 483.
The same crisis?
Does Daniel 9 describe the same crisis as the other chapters of Daniel? Daniel 9 deals specifically with Israel and the 490 years allocated to her. The other prophecies deal with all nations and all time.
Daniel 9 forms a unit.
Daniel 9 has two parts: Daniel’s prayer and the vision he received while still praying. The prophecy is the answer to Daniel’s prayer.
Jeremiah’s 70 years
Daniel received this prophecy at the end of the 70 years of captivity prophesied by Jeremiah. Where do we find those 70 years in history?
Nehemiah
This book provides essential context for Daniel’s prophecies.
Daniel 9 – Alternative Interpretations |
Liberal-Critical
Liberal scholars do not accept that accurate predictions of the future are possible. They believe the prophecy describes Antiochus IV, two centuries before Christ.
Dispensational
In this interpretation, the prophecy describes an end-time Antichrist. This article is a brief evaluation. It is discussed in more detail in several articles below.
Pre-Wrath Dispensationalism
In this view, there is no rapture. Christians will suffer the end-time tribulation.
Consistent Symbolical
In this, everything is symbolic; even the 490 years.
Historic-Messianic
The entire 490 years are history, fulfilled in the personal work of Jesus Christ and, in a few years after His death, His work in Israel through the Holy Spirit.
Church Fathers
There was a strong consensus among the early church fathers that the prophecy was fulfilled in Christ.
Daniel 9 – Dispensational Interpretation |
Time Indications
Does the Dispensational interpretation fit the time indications in the prophecy?
The Covenant
Whose covenant is confirmed: God’s or Satan’s? (9:27)
Who confirms the covenant?
Christ or the Antichrist?
The Last Seven Years
In Dispensationalism, the last week of Daniel 9:27 symbolizes the last seven years before Christ returns. Does this fit the prophecy?
Other Differences
Several other differences exist between Daniel 9 and the Dispensational interpretation.
Daniel 9 – Historical-Messianic Interpretation |
Introduction
This is the traditional understanding of Daniel 9. It views the 490 years as an extension of God’s covenant with Israell.
The Decree
The 490 years began with Artaxerxes’ first decree in 458/7 BC.
The Messiah
The Messiah, the Prince (9:26) is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Makes the covenant firm.
It is Jesus who made “a firm covenant with the many” (in Israel) by honoring God’s covenant with Israel until the very end of the 490 years.
The Seven Last Years
During the last seven years, Jesus confirmed God’s covenant with Israel, firstly by preaching Himself and, secondly, after His death, by sending the Holy Spirit first and foremost to Israel.
End the sacrifices
Jesus’ death put an end to the value and meaning of the Jewish sacrificial system (9:27).
Is Daniel a Fraud? |
Critical Scholars
Critical scholars are found at the theological faculties of prestigious universities, teaching that Daniel was written after the predicted events. If this is true, then Revelation is a hoax because it is based on Daniel.
Daniel is true prophecy.
Evidence from the book itself, as well as from external sources, that Daniel was written before the events it predicts – Summary
The Fall of Rome validates Daniel.
Rome fell about 7 centuries after Daniel was written, according to Critical Scholars, but it fell in exactly the way predicted by Daniel.
Darius the Mede
Does the absence of Darius in secular history prove that Daniel is fiction?
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Qumran sect regarded Daniel as inspired Scripture. Some of their Daniel scrolls are dated to only 50 years after Antiochus.
BOOK OF REVELATION
General Topics |
Revelation OF or BY Jesus?
Should the title of the book be Revelation of or by Jesus Christ?” In other words, is the book about Jesus Christ or from Him?
Are events chronological?
Revelation repeats the same event in different parts of the book. For example, the return of Christ is described at the end of four of the main divisions of Revelation.
Literal interpretations
Is it valid to assume that everything in Revelation is literal unless it cannot be literal?
Temple in Heaven
Every one of the five main parts of Revelation begins in the temple in heaven.
Christ’s Return
An overview of the end-time events, as described in Revelation, leading up to Christ’s return
Hear/See Combinations
In Revelation, John sometimes hears about something, but when he looks, he sees something completely different. However, it is the same thing.
The Numbers in Revelation
All numbers in Revelation are symbols. This article explains the meaning of the numbers 2, 4, 7, and 12.
The Seven Seals (4:1-8:1) |
Overview
There was a book in heaven that not even Christ could read because it was sealed with seven seals. But by overcoming, He became worthy to break the seven seals and open the book. Why was Jesus not “worthy” to open the book before He “overcame?” And how did His death make Him “worthy” to open the book? This article is an overview of all articles on the Seven Seals.
Revelation 4 |
God’s throne room
Jesus calls John up to heaven to reveal the future. John saw a throne, “One sitting on the throne,” 24 elders on 24 thrones around the throne, the seven Spirits of God,” and “four living creatures,” “full of eyes in front and behind.”
The 24 elders
Based on how they are described, such as sitting on thrones and wearing gold crowns, the 24 elders in God’s throne room are people. They are from both Israel and the Church.
Worship in God’s presence
This article discusses the worship in Revelation 4:8-11, before Jesus appears, as well as in Revelation 5, after He has appeared in the throne room. Is Jesus worshiped here?
Revelation 5 |
What event is Revelation 5?
Revelation 5 describes a specific event, namely, what happened in heaven when Jesus arrived after He ascended. Therefore, He received the sealed book 2000 years ago, and the events caused by breaking the seals began after His ascension.
The sealed book
It is the Lamb’s Book of Life, which is the book of God’s judgments, indicating who will inherit eternal life.
Why Jesus had to die
Before His death, nobody was able to open the book, but after He died, Jesus Christ was declared “worthy” to break the seals. So, why was He not “worthy” before His death, and how did His death make Him “worthy?”
Revelation 5 – Verse by Verse
Verses 1-4 describe the time before Christ, verses 5-6 describe His death, and the rest of the chapter describes what happens in heaven after His ascension.
Revelation 6 |
The White Horse of the First Seal
The color white, the stephanos crown, and its never-ending conquering identify the white horse as the gospel.
The Four Horsemen
The four horsemen form a unit. The bloodshed, famine, and death in the next three horsemen are the consequences of the first (the gospel).
Are the souls under the altar alive?
Are these literal souls, literally crying out to God for revenge?
Why must God’s people suffer?
The souls who have been killed for their faith are under the altar, crying for revenge. But they are told to wait until their fellow brethren, who are to be killed, are completed.
The Sixth Seal
The people hiding in the mountains describe Christ’s Return. This is the Day of Judgment. The Son of Man separates the people from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Revelation 7 |
The Sealing
Where does the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1-8 fit in the end-time events described later in Revelation?
What is the seal?
God will make more power available to enable His last-day people to remain faithful during the catastrophic end-time events.
The Sealing in the Book of Daniel
How does the sealing fit in the end-time events described in Daniel?
The 144,000
All numbers in Revelation are symbols. 12 is the number of God’s people. So, what does 12 x 12 x 1000 mean? And who are the 144,000 “sons of Israel?” Are they literal Jews?
The Innumerable Multitude
Is the multitude before the throne the same as the 144,000? Are they described before or after Christ’s return?
Revelation 8 |
The Seventh Seal
When the seventh seal is broken, the book is fully open, God’s judgments are understood, and God can make a final end to evil. The immense sadness in God’s heart causes silence in heaven.
The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets
Does the seventh seal include the seven trumpets, as literal interpreters usually claim?
Is Christ’s return delayed?
About 2000 years ago, Christ redeemed humanity at the Cross. What else does God need to make a final end to evil?
The Seven Trumpets (Rev 8-11)
Revelation 10-11 |
The Little Open Book (10:1-7)
Daniel was told that his prophecies would only be understood in the End Time. Revelation 10 describes that end-time understanding.
The Church’s Final Message (10:8 to 11:2)
To “prophesy again,” John must measure the temple, altar, and worshipers. The church must also unlearn the corruptions of the Middle Ages to establish God’s true system of worship.
The Time, Times, and a Half (11:2)
The ‘time, times, and a half,’ 42 months, and 1260 days (11:2-3) all refer to the same period. It does not represent the End Times but precedes the End Times.
God’s Two Witnesses (11:3-6)
They cannot be literal persons. They always exist. They prophesy in sackcloth (weakness) during the 1,260 days but in power when John is commanded to “prophesy again.”
Death and Resurrection of the Two Witnesses (11:7-14)
The church will be completely silenced for a number of years, but then God will reveal Himself and His true people.
The Seventh Trumpet (11:15-19)
When this trumpet blows, God’s kingdom has already begun. It is the time to judge, to reward, and to destroy the destroyers.
Revelation 12-14
Revelation 12 |
The Woman and her Child
The “male child” is Christ, but who is His mother: Mary, Israel, the Church, or all of God’s faithful people?
The stars thrown out of heaven
A great red dragon swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Do the “stars” refer to angels?
When was the war in heaven?
When did the war begin, and when was Satan thrown out?
How did Michael defeat Satan?
What are Satan’s weapons, and what weapons did Michael use to overcome Satan?
God’s people defeat Satan.
If Christ’s death defeated Satan, why would the testimony of God’s people defeat Satan?
Why does evil continue after Christ?
After peace was restored in heaven, the war on earth only intensified (12:9, 12). Why did God not put an end to evil immediately after the Cross?
Revelation 13 |
The Dragon
In Revelation 12, describing a series of wars between God and Satan, the Dragon describes Satan’s forces. In Revelation 13, the Dragon is the same as Daniel’s terrible fourth animal, which symbolizes the Roman Empire.
The Beast
The Beast is Daniel’s 11th horn. It is a fragment of the Roman Empire and continues its authority. It is also the Antichrist.
The Fatal Wound
The Sea Beast has a fatal wound on one of its heads (13:3-4). Revelation 17 describes the same fatal wound and identifies it as the sixth head.
What is the Beast?
This article shows that the Beast in Revelation is the same as the evil horn in Daniel. It then identifies the Horn, and, therefore, the Beast, by comparing the Horn to history.
Fifth Plague
The fifth plague provides further information about the Beast.
The Seven Last Plagues
Revelation 15 |
When will the plagues fall?
The seven last plagues will be preceded by the end-time Christian-on-Christian persecution and followed by Christ’s return. Is the purpose simply to punish, or do the plagues have some higher goal?
First Four Plagues |
A single event
Revelation has seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven plagues. The first four of each series should be interpreted as a unit, not individually.
Reveal the Mark of the Beast.
The plagues will show that the people with the mark of the beast are so entrenched in Satan’s ways that they are unable to repent, even when faced with evidence that they are wrong.
Fifth Plague |
The Beast’s Throne
The fifth plague angel pours his bowl out on the beast’s throne, which symbolizes its authority, which it received from the Roman Empire (Rev 13:2). Its authority is not military or economic but religious.
Darkness on the Beast’s throne
The final great proclamation of God’s message, the loud cry (18:2), will cause darkness on the Beast’s throne. It will convince the Beast’s followers that the light from their religious system is darkness.
What is the Beast?
The Beast is the church of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire made Nicene Christianity, the teaching that the Father and Son are a single hypostasis (Person), its State Religion and destroyed all opposition. The Roman Church became the ‘church’ of the Middle Ages.
Sixth Plague |
The Euphrates dries up.
The Euphrates symbolizes the people under the control of the Beast. In other words, the Beast’s support dries up.
Kings from the East
In this plague, there are two groups of kings. Since the kings of the whole world oppose God, the Kings from the East are God’s army.
Armageddon
It is Judgment Day. It is not a place; it is the Day of the Lord. The people will not gather at a specific place: Spirits of demons will unite the whole world against God.
Jesus comes like a thief (16:15).
Is this a secret rapture?
Why the Euphrates dries up
Why must the Euphrates dry up before the Kings from the East may come? (16:12)
Overview
Summary of the articles on the Sixth Plague
Conclusion (Plagues) |
The seventh plague
The description of the final plague in Revelation 16 continues in Revelation 19 and ends with Christ’s return, the destruction of the Beast, and the death of the people with the Mark of the Beast.
Purpose of the Plagues
The purpose is not to punish but to show that the people with the Mark of the Beast, who also claim to be Christians, are hardened beyond repentance.
The plagues validate God’s judgments.
The ultimate purpose is to show that God judges perfectly. But why would that be necessary?
Revelation’s Beasts |
The seven-headed beasts
Revelation has three beasts with seven heads and ten horns each: a great red dragon, the beast from the sea, and a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names. What are they, and how do they relate?
The Seven Heads
“Here is the mind which has wisdom.” (17:9) The seven heads are the seven phases of the beast power. Each beast is one of the phases and, therefore, one of the seven heads.
The seven heads identified
The first four heads are the four beasts in Daniel 7, the fourth being the Roman Empire. The last three heads are the three phases of the eleventh horn that grows out of the Roman Empire.
The Sixth Head receives the Fatal Wound.
The sixth of the beast’s seven heads is a weak head. It is the head that receives the fatal wound (13:3-4) and describes Daniel’s Time of the End.
Babylon, the Mother of Harlots |
Babylon unites the world against God.
Babylon is mentioned only once in the first 15 chapters (14:8), but the seventh and final plague targets her specifically (16:19). Then, Revelation 17 and 18 explain who and what she is. She corrupts the people, unites the world against God, and is worldwide and timeless.
The Harlot and the Beast
How does the Harlot relate to the Beast? While Babylon always exists worldwide, the beast is a specific human organization that is one instance of the Babylon principle.
Babylon became Christian.
Babylon exists everywhere and throughout all human history, but false Christianity has adopted the Babylonian spirit.
Babylon’s Merchants
Babylon’s “merchants were the great men of the earth” (18:23). They are the prophets of false Christianity.
Is it a literal city?
Some literal interpreters propose that ancient Babylon will be rebuilt on the literal Euphrates River, to become the literal capital of the world.
Is it the Papacy?
Based on a comparison of the harlot of Revelation to church history, some identify the Papacy as Babylon.
Overview
– of the articles on Babylon
Revelation 17-18 |
17:1-3 verse-by-verse
The harlot sitting on the scarlet beast
17:4-6 verse-by-verse
Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots
The Time Perspective in Revelation 17
Five of the beast’s seven heads are in the past, one is currently, and the last must still come. From what time perspective was this said?
Revelation – External Resources (Jon Paulien) |
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- Rev 12 – Revelation 12 and the War in Heaven. (mp3)
- Rev 4 and 5 (mp3)
- Paulien’s commentary
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IS JESUS THE MOST HIGH GOD? |
Is Jesus God? |
The Son is not God.
The Bible always distinguishes, not only between the Son and the Father, but between the Son and God.
The Almighty
The title “the Almighty” appears ten times in the New Testament and always refers to the Father alone.
The Son is subordinate to the Father.
In the Bible, the Son always was, still is, and always will be subordinate to the Father. Everything that He has, He has received from His Father.
The Son is Divine.
The Son has some of God’s divine attributes. For example, He is the only other being who has life in himself.
Specific Bible Books |
John’s gospel
Did John use the term theos for both the Father and the Son?
Colossians: Christ’s Role
Are we saved by Christ or by God? Who created all things and who reconciled all things to God, God or Christ Jesus?
Colossians: Is Jesus God?
God created all things through the Son and holds all creation together through the Son. The Son is distinct from God but rules over all.
Book of Revelation
In the Book of Revelation, the Father alone is God, Almighty, the Creator, the Supreme Ruler, and the One we worship. The Son is subordinate to the Father, but belongs with the Father when compared to the created universe.
Specific Bible Passages |
Philippians 2
Four stages of Christ’s existence:
(1) Equal with God before His human birth,
(2) As a human being,
(3) In death for three days, and
(4) Exalted by God after His ascension.
1 Corinthians 8:6
Does this verse divide the words of the Shema between the Father and the Son?
Did Jesus claim to be God?
Or did He claim to be the Son of God? (John 10:33-36)
Is Jesus One Being with the Father?
This article discusses three statements Jesus made that are often interpreted to mean that they are literally one Being (John 10:30, 38; 14:9).
Christ’s Origin and Pre-existence |
Only-Begotten
Is He only-begotten or only-unique? “Only-begotten” (monogenēs) means that He is the only being generated from the being of the Father, or should it be translated as “only unique,” which excludes the idea of generation?
Firstborn of all Creation
Does this (Col 1:15) mean that He was literally born first, or that He is part of creation?
The Son created all things.
All things, including creation, judgment, and salvation, are from God, the Father, but through His Son.
Jesus in the Old Testament
Since the Son always existed and existed in the form of God, and since God is invisible, the God who was seen in the Old Testament is the one we know as Jesus.
Worship |
Do we worship the Son?
We do not ‘worship’ Jesus. The Greek word translated as ‘worship’ (proskuneó) means to bow down, showing respect, for example, before a king. It is only translated as “worship” if we assume that Jesus is God.
Worship in Revelation
If Jesus is worshiped in Revelation, does that mean that He is God?
Is Jesus worshiped in Revelation 5:14?
The verse does not say who is worshiped. Are both the Father and the Son worshiped there?
Does the Bible call Jesus “God?” |
Overview
Of the 1314 instances of the Greek word theos (god) in the New Testament, 7 refer to Jesus. Does that mean that the Bible writers thought of Jesus as God Almighty? To translate theos as “God,” when it refers to Jesus, is an application of the Trinity doctrine, not proof thereof.
John 1:1 – Possible Translations
Some regard this verse as the clearest declaration of the Son’s deity. Possible translations include (a) The Word was God, (b) The Word was a god, and (c) The Word was divine.
John 1:1 – The Word was a god.
This is the Jehovah’s Witness translation. This article argues against it.
John 1:1 – Theos is a count noun.
To defend their translation, Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that the term “God” is a count noun. Is this a valid argument?
John 1:1 – The Word was God.
This translation interprets theos as definite, but John 1:1c uses theos in a descriptive sense, meaning that the Word was like God.
The Greek word theos
The Bible refers to Jesus as theos, but that Greek word has a wide range of meanings. It is most often used in the Bible to refer to “God” – the Ultimate Reality – but its basic meaning is an immortal being with supernatural powers. In what sense of theos does the New Testament refer to Jesus?
John 1:18
The Only Begotten God – Scholars are not sure what John actually wrote here. Many ancient manuscripts of this verse refer to Jesus as “son” and not as theos (god).
John 20:28
My Lord and my God! – Thomas here refers to Jesus as his theos, but just a few verses earlier, Jesus refers to the Father as His theos (John 20:17). In what sense of theos did Thomas address Jesus?
Romans 9:5
Paul never refers to Jesus as God. This is most significant. Romans 9:5 is the only possible exception, but the translation of this verse depends on punctuation, meaning the translation is an interpretation.
Hebrews 1:8-9
Verse 8 refers to Jesus as theos, but the very next verse shows that He is not God because it says that God is His God.
The Word of God |
Is the Word a Person or a principle?
The New Testament, particularly John, refers to Jesus as the “Word.” Some propose that the logos in John 1:1 is not a person but a personification of God’s eternal plan.
Why is He called “the Word?”
Everything that the creation receives from God, it receives through His Son.
Did Philo influence the New Testament?
Philo wrote a few decades before John. In his interpretation of the Old Testament, he included the logos from Greek philosophy and described him as similar to John’s logos.
ORIGIN OF THE TRINITY DOCTRINE
Overview Articles |
The Trinity Doctrine – Pandora’s Box
The Trinity doctrine teaches that the pre-incarnate Son of God is not a distinct Person and, therefore, did not die on the Cross.
The Trinity Doctrine and Modalism
Since the Father, Son, and Spirit share one single substance, mind, and will, are they the same Person, as in Modalism?
Incarnation
In Nicene theology, the Son of God cannot suffer or die. It was a mere human being who suffered, died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven.
Arian Controversy
The traditional account of how and why the church accepted the Trinity doctrine is a complete travesty.
The Real Main Issue
The real main issue was not whether the Son is God but whether He is a distinct Person.
Logos-Theology
Did the Nicenes or Arians continue 2nd-century Logos-theology?
The Orthodox View
During at least the first five centuries, the dominant view was that the Son is subordinate to the Father.
The True Origin of the Trinity Doctrine
The traditional account of the Arian Controversy, which resulted in the Trinity Doctrine, is a complete travesty.
Prosopon and Hypostasis
Some church fathers referred to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three hypostases, others as three prosōpa. These terms have very different meanings.
The Apologists |
The Apologists were the theologians of the first 3 centuries who had to defend Christianity at a time when Christianity was illegal and the Empire attempted to exterminate it.
Ignatius of Antioch
Ignatius (c. 35-107) described the Son as our God, but the Father as the only true God.
Polycarp
Polycarp (c. 69–155) was a personal disciple of the Apostle John. He made a clear distinction between the Almighty God and His subordinate Son.
Justin Martyr
Justin (c. 100–165) used Greek philosophy to explain the Son of God as a rational power begotten from God’s substance.
Irenaeus
Irenaeus (c. 115-190) identified the Father as the only true God, alone Almighty, and the Head of Christ.
Tertullian
Tertullian’s theology was similar to Sabellius’: Both claimed that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct portions of a single divine Person.
Our God
Church Fathers referred to the Father as ‘the only true God’ and to the Son as ‘our God.’ But the ancient term ‘theos’ (translated as God) did not mean ‘God’.
Sabellius
Sabellius (fl. c. 217-220) taught that Father, Son, and Spirit are three portions of a single divine Being.
External resource
Pre-Nicene fathers – Dr. Tuggy’s podcasts 239-242.
Arius |
Arius was not important.
Arianism was named after Arius, implying that Arius’ theology dominated the fourth-century church. However, he was insignificant.
Athanasius invented Arianism.
The only reason we today refer to ‘Arians’ is that Athanasius invented the term to falsely label his opponents with a theology that was already formally rejected by the church.
Philosopher
Arius is often falsely accused of mixing philosophy into theology.
Arius was a conservative.
Arius was not a theological rebel, as often claimed. He continued the theology of people like Bishops Dionysius of Alexandria and Methodius of Olympia..
Did Arius follow Origen?
Origen was the most prominent theologian of the first three centuries. This article lists several differences between the teachings of Arius and Origen.
Time before the Son
Arius stated that the Son existed before time but that the Father existed before the Son. Did Arius contradict himself?
Did Arius say the Son is immutable?
Arius wrote that the Son of God never changes, but Athanasius claimed that Arius taught the opposite.
Arius’ theology
Recent scholars conclude that Arius was a thinker and exegete of resourcefulness, sharpness, and originality.
The Nicene Council and Creed (AD 325) |
This is the most famous and influential creed in the history of the church.
Nicene Council
Emperor Constantine dominated. This so-called first ecumenical council was the emperor’s meeting. He called and controlled it and ensured it reached the kind of conclusion that he thought best.
Nicene Creed
The delegates to the Council of Nicaea believed the Son is subordinate to the Father, and there are several indications in the Creed of this.
Of the Father’s substance
Does this phrase mean that the Son has the same substance as the Father or that He has been begotten out of the Father’s substance?
Pro-Nicene theology did not yet exist.
At Nicaea, the Nicenes taught that the Father and Son are a single Person. They did not teach that God is both one and three.
Eusebius’ explanation of the Creed.
At the Nicene Council, homoousios was rationalized as meaning that the Son is like the Father in every respect, not as ‘one substance’.
Should a Protestant accept the Nicene Creed?
Since the terms and concepts ousia, homoousios, and hypostasis originate from pagan philosophy and not from the Bible, the Creed is not Sola Scriptura.
Homoousios meant ‘one Person’.
Homoousios was a Sabellian term. It was adopted at Nicaea because Alexander allied with Sabellians, who used the term to teach that Father and Son are one Person.
Homoousios was not important.
For three decades after the Council of Nicaea, nobody mentioned the term. It came back into the Arian Controversy in the 350s, some 30 years after Nicaea.
Egyptian Paganism used homoousios.
The term does not appear in the Bible or any orthodox Christian confession before Nicaea.
The Trinity doctrine deviates from the Nicene Creed.
The Creed uses ousia (Being) and hypostasis (Person) as synonyms. It says that the Father and Son are a single hypostasis (Person). In contrast, the Trinity Doctrine proclaims three hypostases.
Post-Nicaea Correction
After Nicaea, Sabellians claimed that ‘homoousios’ meant that the church had accepted Sabellianism. The church then exiled all leading Sabellians and allowed the exiled Arians to return.
Arianism |
Arianism dominated Christianity for at least the first five centuries. After the Roman Empire in 380 made Nicene theology the State Religion of the Roman people, the other European nations remained ‘Arian.’ After the Fall of Rome in the fifth century, Arian nations ruled Europe.
Arian Emperors
Most emperors supported Arianism.
Athanasius invented Arianism.
Arius was insignificant, but Athanasius invented the term ‘Arian’ to falsely label his opponents with a theology that had already been condemned.
Arian Theology
The Father is the only true God, the Son is our god, but the Father is His god, and the Holy Spirit is not a Person, but a power, subject to the Son.
The Dedication Creed – AD 341
This Creed shows how the Nicene Creed would have read if Emperor Constantine had not interfered. It is anti-Arius but mainly anti-Sabellian.
The Long Lines Creed – AD 344
In response to the explicit one-hypostasis view of the Western manifesto at Serdica in 343, the Eastern Long Lines Creed proclaimed three hypostases.
Did Arians describe the Son as a creature?
‘Arians’ described Christ as originating from beyond our universe, the only being ever brought forth directly by the Father, and as the only being able to endure direct contact with God.
Homoians
Homoians claimed that the Son is like the Father but rejected all ousia terms (including homoousios) because it is not in the Bible.
Homoi-ousians
In contrast to ‘same substance’ (homoousios), the Homoiousians believed that His substance is similar but not the same.
John 1:1
How did Arians understand this verse? They did not believe that Jesus is one among many but that He is our God, while the Father is His God.
Colossians 2:9
“In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” – This article quotes the mainstream anti-Nicenes to show how they understood that verse.
Pro-Nicenes |
The Sabellians
They taught that the Father and Son are a single divine Person with a single mind. Jesus is merely an inspired human being.
Athanasius was a Sabellian.
He did not defend scriptural orthodoxy. He was not a Trinitarian. Similar to the Sabellian, he and Alexander believed the Son is part of the Father. This is an important article because the Trinity doctrine of today is a continuation of Athanasius’ theology.
Athanasius was deposed for violence.
Athanasius was excommunicated for violence. He claimed to be falsely accused by an Arian Conspiracy, but R.P.C. Hanson shows that his condemnation was deserved.
The West vindicated Athanasius.
The East exiled Athanasius and the Sabellian Marcellus, but the West, at a council in Rome in 340, accepted them as orthodox and innocent.
The Council of Serdica – AD 343
The Western manifesto reveals the true nature of Nicene theology, namely that the West adhered to a one-hypostasis (one Person) theology, similar to the Sabellians. This manifesto is important because this was the only time that the Nicenes were able to formulate their views without restraint.
The Cappadocians
While the Trinity doctrine declares that the Father and Son are one Being (one indivisible substance), Basil of Caesarea taught that they are distinct Beings.
The Meletian Schism
The Meletian Schism of the 360s-370s was a dispute between two Pro-Nicene groups, with one side, including Athanasius, teaching one hypostasis (Person) and the Cappadocians teaching three hypostases.
Roman State Religion |
Emperor Theodosius
Through Roman Law, Theodosius made Nicene theology the State Religion of the Roman Empire and outlawed all other views. He put an end to opposition by severe persecution. The council in 381 was a mere formality.
Why did Theodosius succeed?
Emperor Theodosius succeeded where others failed because he did what no other emperor had done. He determined the sole religion of the Roman Empire through Roman Law, without consulting a church council, forbade heretics from living in the cities and towns, and from meeting for worship, and confiscated the churches of dissenting groups.
Council of Constantinople – AD 381
This council was not ecumenical. It was a regional synod of Antioch, attended only by pro-Nicenes because all other forms of Christianity had already been outlawed.
The creeds of 325 and 381 compared
The wording of the creeds is similar, but the meaning is very different.
Later Centuries |
When the Roman nation adopted Nicene theology, the other European nations remained Arian. In the fifth century, after Rome fell, Arian nations ruled Europe. This section explains how Nicene theology eventually dominated.
The Fall of the Western Roman Empire
It did not fall; it transformed. Massive in-migration and top positions for ‘barbarians’ in the Roman Army allowed them to assume control of the Empire progressively.
Why the empire fell
Factors include underfunding of the army, appointment of barbarian mercenaries, a plunder economy, pomp of rulers, high taxes, weak emperors, and Sassanid and Hunnic incursions.
Fifth Century – Arian Rule
In the fifth century, the other European nation, which converted to Christianity while Arianism dominated, took control of the Western Empire from the Romans but tolerated and even respected the Roman Church.
Justinian
In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian subjected the Arian nations, liberated the Roman Church from Arian domination, and set up the Byzantine Papacy through which the Eastern Roman Empire ruled the West through the Roman Church. Over the next two centuries, the domination of the Eastern Empire and its Nicene Church forced the Arian kingdoms to convert to Nicene Christianity.
The Middle Ages
After the Eastern Empire lost much power in the eighth century, the Roman Church survived without the support of the Roman Empire and grew in power to become the Church of the Middle Ages, symbolized by Daniel’s 11th horn.
Waldensian massacres
The Waldensians identified the Roman Church as the harlot of Revelation. In response, the Roman Church called all to destroy the Waldensians. In consequence, the Waldensians were looted, raped, tortured, and massacred.
Summaries of books by Specialists |
In the last 50 years, scholars who specialize in this field have explained the Arian Controversy very differently compared to previous explanations.
Lewis Ayres
Nicaea and Its Legacy – This article summarizes and interprets the first ten chapters of this book. – Ayres is a Catholic theologian and Professor of Catholic and Historical Theology.
RPC (Richard) Hanson
The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Arian Controversy, 318-381.
Lecture by RPC Hanson
An informative lecture on the Arian Controversy.
Fortman, Edmund J.
The Triune God – Nicene Creed
Erickson, Millard J.
God in Three Persons
Boyd, William
Union of Church and State in the Late Roman Empire
TRINITY DOCTRINE – GENERAL |
The Trinity Doctrine
This site opposes the Trinity doctrine because it teaches that the Father and Son are a single Being with a single mind. It is misleading to claim that the Trinity Doctrine teaches three Persons because ‘Persons’ imply distinct minds. In the Trinity Doctrine, the three ‘Persons’ are mere modes of existing as God. Consequently, the pre-incarnate Son of God is not a distinct Person and, therefore, cannot become incarnate and did not die on the Cross.
The Eternal Generation of the Son
The Son has been begotten by the Father, meaning that the Son is dependent on the Father. Eternal Generation explains “begotten” in such a way that the Son is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.
Modalism vs the Trinity doctrine
In the Trinity Doctrine, the Father, Son, and Spirit share one and the same substance, mind, and will. Does that mean they are one and the same Person, as in Modalism?
Athanasian Creed vs Eastern Orthodoxy
The Athanasian Creed, the primary formulation of the Trinity doctrine, identifies the “one God” as the Trinity. Eastern Orthodoxy, claiming to uphold the church’s earliest views, identifies the “one God” as the Father alone.
Eastern Orthodoxy
As presented by the respected Eastern Orthodox theologian, Father Thomas Hopko.
Elohim
Elohim (often translated as God) is plural in form. Does this mean that the Old Testament writers thought of God as a multi-personal Being?
External Resources:
Kermit Zarley
The Trinity Doctrine did not exist until the Late Fourth Century
Dr. Steven Nemes – Part 1 (mp3)
The relationship between God and the cosmos, appeals to “mystery,” “the doctrine of the Trinity” as a shibboleth, claims that there is no good analogy for the Trinity
Dr. Steven Nemes – Part 2 (mp3)
The “Persons” of the Trinity as modes, the New Testament authors as “primitive” theologians, divine simplicity, “social” Trinity theories, divine processions, or lack thereof
THE SABBATH
In the Old Testament |
At Creation
God ingrained the seventh day into human existence.
Evolution Theory
The theory of evolution destroys the Bible’s core message.
Before Moses
A seven-day cycle apparently did exist before Moses.
Ten Commandments
The Sabbath served as a symbol of liberation, a day of rest, a reminder of the Lord, and a test of obedience, but not as a day for church meetings.
The Traditions
The traditions of the elders are extremely detailed laws that began as a hedge against sin but, eventually, represented God as a tyrant.
Jesus’ Sabbath Healing Miracles |
The demon-possessed man
By healing a man on the Sabbath, Christ publicly contravened the traditions.
The withered hand
The rulers wanted Jesus to heal on the Sabbath so that they could legally kill Him. (Matt 12:9-14)
The crippled woman
The purpose of the Sabbath is to free people from Satan’s bonds. (Luke 13:10-17)
The Paralytic at Bethesda
The strict traditions allowed little space for compassion, caused the Sabbath to become an intolerable burden, and depicted God as a tyrant. (John 5)
The man born blind
Why did Jesus select the Sabbath specifically for His healing miracles? (John 9)
Jesus’ Sabbath Teachings |
The Sabbath was made for man.
God made the Sabbath the best day of the week. Human needs are more important than the Sabbath. (Matt 12:1-8)
Christ deliberately contravened the traditions.
While the Jews regarded healing as work and disallowed it on the Sabbath, Jesus deliberately healed on the Sabbath.
Why they killed Jesus
By contravening the traditions, He condemned the Jewish system of authority.
Why did Jesus perform miracles?
His healing miracles gave credibility to His teachings and to His claim to be the Messiah.
What did Jesus teach about the Sabbath?
Man may and must work on the Sabbath to relieve suffering, to heal, and to teach about God.
Jesus taught a different Sabbath.
Moses made rest the goal, but Christ shifted the focus to the original purpose: To heal and restore.
The Law of Christ
Christ not only interpreted the Law of Moses; He replaced it with higher moral standards that existed from the beginning.
Sabbath in the New Testament |
No Sabbath Commandment
Is the Sabbath commandment repeated in the New Testament?
Each must be fully convinced in his own mind.
It is a bit far-fetched to say that each person must decide on the day of worship. Read within its context, this is a dispute about eating meat. Therefore, these “days” were probably fasting days. (Rom 14:5-6) –
OTHER SUBJECTS
The Law of Moses |
Must Christians observe the Law of Moses?
The Law of Christ replaced the Law of Moses. – Read Show More
The Old Testament implies that Moses’ Law would fall away Read. Show More
Christ replaced the Law with higher standards. Read Show More
What is the Law of Christ? Read Show More
Summary of the previous four articles Read
Sermon on the Mount |
Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. Read Show More
Objections to the previous article Read Show More
Did the Church Council in Acts 15 contradict Jesus? – Read Show More
Sermon on the Mount Read – Read Show More
Atonement – Why Jesus had to die |
We are not saved because Jesus suffered, but because He remained faithful despite His extreme suffering
What does “atonement” mean? – Read Show More
An overview of the main theories of Atonement – Read Show More
How this website explains Atonement – Read Show More
Metaphors for Salvation – Read Show More
Christ’s death enabled God’s grace. – Read Show More
An explanation of the atonement to a Moslem – Read
A brief overview of these articles – Read
External Resources:
Graham Maxwell
Noah Worcester on atonement
Justification |
How people are put right with God
God judges people by their deeds and justifies some by grace. – Read Show More
Justification is not a mere legal process. It really changes the person. – Read
State of the Dead |
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- Are the souls under the altar in the fifth seal alive? – Read
- Do people have immortal souls? – A discussion of 1 Corinthians 15 – Read
- UCG – The Immortal Soul – An external resource – Read
- With what kind of body will the dead be resurrected? – Read
- Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ (External mp3) – Read
Eternal Torment |
Will the lost be tormented for all eternity?
God will annihilate the lost. – Read Show More
The smoke of their torment will rise forever. – Read Show More
Tormented day and night forever – Read Show More
The evidence for eternal torment – Read Show More
Summary of these articles – Read Show More
Only God’s people will receive eternal life. – Read Show More
External Resources
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- Glenn Peoples’ article, Why I am an Annihilationist – Read.
- Rethinking Hell podcasts, including:
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Why does Evil exist? |
The Origin of Evil – Read Show More
Why Satan thought he could win – A Study of the Book of Job – Read
Who are the rulers and authorities? – Read Show More
How did the Cross disarm the rulers and authorities? (Col 2:15) – Read
Very Early Church History |
Key events in the first few decades that transformed the church from a sect of Judaism into an independent religion:
Jerusalem Phase – Read Show More
Judea and Samaria phase – Read Show More
Gentile Dispute Phase – Read Show More
Separation Phase – Read Show More
Theological Implications – Read Show More
Chronology – Dates for key events – Read
Christ’s Return |
When and how will Jesus return, and what will happen? – Read Show More
Christ’s Return in the Book of Revelation – Read Show More
What will happen at the End of the Age? – Read Show More
Christ’s teachings of the end-time – Read
A comparison of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 – Read Show More
Christ promised to return soon. – Read Show More
This generation passes away. (Matt 24:34) – Read Show More
His disciples finish going through the cities of Israel. (Matt 10:23) – Read Show More
Some of His contemporaries would die. (Matt 16:28) – Read Show More
The following articles evaluate claims that Jesus’ promise to return soon was already fulfilled through:
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit – Read Show More
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. – Read Show More
Does God delay Christ’s return? – Read Show More
General |
Christianity became integrated with Paganism. – Read Show More
SPECIFIC BOOKS
Romans |
I did this study particularly to understand what the term “Israel” means in the prophecies of Revelation.
Romans 3:1-8 – Did God reject Israel? – Read
What does the term “Israel” mean? (Romans 9-11) – Read Show More
Summary of the previous article – Read
God elected Israel for a mission, not to save them. – Read
Recommended external podcast –
Romans 14 |
The dispute was not about the Law of Moses. (Rom 14:1-4) – Read
The term unclean does not refer to unclean animals. (Rom 14:14) – Read
We see the same dispute in Corinthians 8 and 10. – Read Show More
Does Romans 14 say that the weekly Sabbath is optional? (Rom 14:5-6) – Read Show More
God will judge people by their deeds. (Rom 14:7-13) – Read Show More
Rather abstain from meat. (Rom 14:13-23) – Read Show More
Galatians |
The letter to the Galatians describes the struggle between Paul and the Judaizing Jewish Christians early in the church’s existence.
Galatians 1
Galatians 2
Galatians 3 |
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- 3:1-5 – The Galatians want to continue in their own power.
- 3:6-9 – Those who believe are sons of Abraham.
- 3:10-14 – No one is justified by the Law.
- 3:15-18 – Jesus Christ inherited the covenant promises.
- 3:19-25 – Christ replaced the Law as our Tutor.
- 3:26-29 – Israel no longer has a separate role in God’s plan.
- Overview of Galatians 1 to 3
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Galatians – General |
When was Galatians written? – Read Show More
What did the Galatians do wrong? – Read Show More
List of articles with a bit more detail – Read
Colossians |
The deception in Colossians claimed to have special knowledge from supernatural sources and criticized other Christians for an inferior religion.
Colossians 1
Colossians 2
Cheirographon (Col 2:14-15)
Colossians 2:16
The Sabbath was not controversial in Paul’s day.
Festivals, New Moons, and Sabbaths
This phrase refers to “all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel.”
Are these weekly or annual Sabbaths?
Meros means “part of.”
The Colossians were criticized for HOW they kept these days; not for keeping those days.
Who are the rulers and authorities?
The Cross was a public display.
Who criticized the Sabbath-keepers?
It was Gentiles, not other Christians.
Hebrews |
Jesus, our High Priest
To become our high priest in the Tabernacle in Heaven, He had to suffer but remain without sin.
A better High Priest
The earthly Tabernacle was only a copy of the reality in heaven, and could, therefore, not free people from guilt for sin.
Jesus appears for us before God.
Jesus guarantees God’s promise, “their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Hebrews’ two bookends
(Heb 4:14-16 and 10:22-24) – We may draw near to God, for Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses.
The Unpardonable Sin
If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer a sacrifice for sins. (Heb 10:26)
Christ is superior to the Old Testament.
What God spoke through His Son has a much higher authority than the Old Testament. (Heb 1:1-3)