ALL ARTICLES ON THIS SITE

Categories

The articles are grouped into the following categories
(Click a category to see the full list.):

    • DANIEL
        • The Antichrist in Daniel 1The Antichrist in Daniel, which is the same as the beast in Revelation, arises out of the Roman Empire; it is not Antiochus Epiphanes.
        • The 490 years of Daniel 9 2Liberal scholars claim that this prophecy describes the Greek king Antiochus IV, two centuries before Christ. In Dispensationalism, the prophecy culminates in an end-time Antichrist. In the traditional interpretation, which dominated before liberalism and Dispensationalism, the prophecy focuses on Jesus Christ.
        • Is Daniel a fraud? 3Critical scholars teach that Daniel was written after the events it claims to predict.
    • REVELATION 4The ultimate purpose of this website is to explain these prophecies and, finally, the mark of the beast.
        • General Topics 5Does Revelation describe events chronologically? Must it be interpreted literally? The temple in heaven, Christ’s Return, Hear/See Combinations, and the Numbers in Revelation
        • The Seven Seals (Rev 4-7) 6There was a book in heaven that not even Christ was able to read because it was sealed up 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?
        • The Seven Wars (Rev 12-14) 7This is the apex of Revelation. Revelation 12 provides an overview of history from before Christ until the end-time, Revelation 13 culminates in the end-time persecution, and Revelation 14 describes God’s response.
        • The Seven Last Plagues (Rev 15-16) 8The seven last plagues will be preceded by the end-time Christian-on-Christian persecution and followed by Christ’s return. Is the purpose simply punishment or do the plagues have a higher goal?
        • Revelation’s Beasts 9Revelation has three beasts with seven heads and ten horns each; a great red dragon (Rev 12:3), the beast from the sea (Rev 13:1), and a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names (Rev 17:3).
        • Babylon – Mother of Harlots (Rev 17-18) 10Babylon is mentioned only once in the first 15 chapters (Rev 14:8) but the seventh and final plague targets her specifically (Rev 16:19). Then Revelation 17 and 18 are dedicated to explaining who and what she is.
        • Revelation 17 verse-by-verse
    • TRINITY
    • SALVATION
    • THE LAW
    • DEATH
    • OTHER
        • Why does evil exist? 20And why does God not make an end to all evil?
        • The church began as a Jewish sect.21Key events that transformed the church into an independent religion
        • The Return of Christ 22When? How? Has His return been delayed?
        • About Author 23I do not hold any formal theological qualifications. Since I am not part of any religious organization, I am free to present the truth as I understand it. These articles are the result of my personal studies over many years.
    • VERSE-BY-VERSE

Daniel’s Prophecies

The Antichrist in Daniel

The Antichrist in Daniel, which is the same as the beast in Revelation, arises out of the Roman Empire; it is not Antiochus Epiphanes.

Daniel 9

Liberal scholars claim that Daniel 9 describes the Greek king Antiochus IV, two centuries before Christ. In Dispensationalism, the prophecy culminates in an end-time Antichrist. In the traditional interpretation, which dominated before modern Liberalism and Dispensationalism, the prophecy focuses on Jesus Christ:

Daniel 9 – Alternative Interpretations

      • Liberal-Critical 44For liberal scholars, who do not accept that accurate predictions of the future are possible, the prophecy describes Antiochus IV – two centuries before Christ.
      • Dispensational 45In 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 46No rapture – Christians will suffer the end-time tribulation.
      • Consistent Symbolical 47In this, everything is symbolic; even the 490 years.
      • Historic-Messianic 48The full 490 years are past 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 49There was a strong consensus among the early church fathers that the prophecy was fulfilled in Christ.

Daniel 9 – Dispensational Interpretation

Daniel 9 – Historical-Messianic Interpretation

      • Introduction 54This is the traditional understanding of Daniel 9. In it, the 490 years are an extension of God’s covenant with Israel.
      • Which Decree? 55The 490 years began with Artaxerxes’ first decree in 458/7 BC.
      • What Messiah is cut off? 56The Messiah the Prince (Dan 9:26) is the Lord Jesus Christ.
      • Christ makes the covenant firm. 57It 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 58During the seven last years, Jesus confirmed God’s covenant with Israel; firstly, by His personal preaching and, secondly, after His death, by sending the Holy Spirit first and foremost to Israel.
      • Put a stop to sacrifice (Dan 9:27) 59Jesus’ death put an end to the value and meaning of the Jewish sacrificial system.

Daniel 9 – Related Articles

      • Jeremiah’s 70 years 60Daniel received this prophecy at the end of the 70 years of captivity prophecied by Jeremiah. Where do we find those 70 years in history?
      • Summary of Nehemiah 61This book provides important context for Daniel’s prophecies.

Is Daniel a Fraud?

Critical scholars, typically those that one will find at the theological faculties of prestigious universities, teach that Daniel was written after the events it claims to predict. If this is true, then Revelation is also a fraud, because it is based on Daniel.

Daniel 9 also confirms Daniel as true prophecy because it accurately predicts the appearance of the Messiah in the first century AD – long after Daniel was written according to the Critics. 


The Book of Revelation

Revelation – General Topics

Revelation – The Seven Seals

There was a book in heaven that not even Christ was able to read because it was sealed up 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?

Revelation 4

Revelation 5

      • What event does Revelation 5 describe? 77Revelation 4 is a timeless description of God’s throne room. Revelation 5 describes what happened in heaven when Jesus arrives after His ascension.
      • What is the sealed book? 78It 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 79Why Jesus was not worthy to break the seals before His death and how did His death make Him worthy? (Rev 5:3, 5, 9)
      • Revelation 5 – Verse by Verse  80Verses 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 first seal 81The color white, the stephanos crown, and its never-ending conquering identify the white horse as the gospel.
      • The next three seals 82The bloodshed, famine, and death in the next three horsemen are the consequence of the first (the gospel).
      • The fifth seal 83Does the cry of the souls under the altar symbolize a general principle or a specific event?
      • The souls under the altar 84Are these literal souls, literally crying out to God for revenge?
      • The sixth seal 85The sixth seal concludes with Christ’s return. The Son of Man separates the people from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Revelation 7

      • The sealing of the 144,000 86Where 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? With what are God’s people sealed? 87God will make more power available to enable His last-day people to remain faithful during the catastrophic end-time events.
      • Where is the sealing in Daniel? 88How does the sealing fit in the end-time events described in Daniel? God’s people are sealed during the Time of the End, as described by Daniel.
      • Who are the 144,000? 89All 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 (Rev 7:9-17) 90Is the multitude before the throne the same as the 144,000? They seem like complete opposites. Is this multitude described before or after Christ’s return?

Revelation 8

      • The seventh seal 91When 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.
      • Does the seventh seal include the seven trumpets? 92This is something that literal interpreters usually claim.
      • Why does God delay Christ’s return? 93About 2000 years ago, Christ redeemed humanity at the Cross. Why does God delay Christ’s return? What else does God need, in addition to Christ’s death 2000 years ago, to make a final end to evil?

The Seven Wars (Rev 12-14)

This is the apex of Revelation. Revelation 12 provides an overview of history from before Christ until the end-time, Revelation 13 culminates in the end-time persecution, and Revelation 14 describes God’s response. 

Revelation 12

Revelation 13

      • The beast from the sea (Rev 13:1-2). 100This beast is the Antichrist. People will be forced to accept its mark in the end-time. This article provides a preliminary identification. The third article in this series identifies it more specifically.
      • What is the fatal wound? (Rev 13:3-4) 101The sea beast has a fatal wound on one of its heads. Revelation 17 describes the same fatal wound and identifies it as the sixth head.
      • Who or what is the Beast? 102This article shows firstly 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 in Daniel 7 to history.

The Seven Last Plagues

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 a higher goal?

Revelation 15

First Four Plagues

Fifth Plague

      • The Throne of the Beast 105The fifth plague angel pours his bowl out on the throne of the beast. The beast’s throne symbolizes its authority, which it received from the Roman Empire (Rev 13:2) But it is not military or economic power. It is Christian religious authority.
      • Darkness on the Beast’s throne. 106It is the final great proclamation of God’s message, symbolized as the loud cry (Rev 18:2), that will cause the darkness on the throne of the beast. That cry convinces the followers of the beast that the light from their religious system is darkness.
      • The beast is the church of the Roman Empire. 107The Roman Empire made the Trinitarian version of Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed all opposition. With the power of the Empire behind it, the ‘church’ of the Roman Empire became the ‘church’ of the Middle Ages and will remain the mainstream ‘church’ until destroyed by the seven last plagues.

Sixth Plague

Plagues – Conclusion

Revelation’s Beasts

Revelation has three beasts with seven heads and ten horns each; a great red dragon (Rev 12:3), the beast from the sea (Rev 13:1), and a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names (Rev 17:3).

      • What are the seven-headed beasts? 116What are they and how do they relate?
      • What are the seven heads? 117“Here is the mind which has wisdom.” (Rev 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.
      • Who are the seven heads? 118The first four heads are the four beasts in Daniel 7, with 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. 119The sixth of the beast’s seven heads is a weak head. It is the head that receives the fatal wound (Rev 13:3-4) and describes Daniel’s Time of the End.

Babylon – Mother of Harlots

Babylon is mentioned only once in the first 15 chapters (Rev 14:8) but the seventh and final plague targets her specifically (Rev 16:19). Then Revelation 17 and 18 are dedicated to explaining who and what she is: 

Revelation 17

Revelation – External Resources (Jon Paulien)


Is Jesus the Most High God?

In the Trinity doctrine, the Son is equal with and one Being with the Father. On the other end of the spectrum, some believe that Jesus Christ did not exist before His human birth. Between these two extremes, there is a range of views.

Is Jesus God?

Does the New Testament present Jesus as God, equal to the Father?

      • The Son is not God. 129The Bible always distinguishes
        – not only between the Son and the Father
        – but between the Son and God.
      • The Father alone is Almighty. 130The title, “the Almighty,” appears ten times in the New Testament and always refers to the Father alone.
      • The Son is subordinate to the Father. 131In 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. 132The Son has some of God’s divine attributes. For example, He is the only other being who has life in himself (John 5:26).

Jesus in specific Bible Books

      • John’s gospel – The word theos 133Did John use the term theos for both the Father and the Son?
      • Colossians; Christ’s role in Creation and Salvation 134Are 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 as God? 135God created all things through Jesus and holds all creation together through Jesus. He is distinct from God, but rules over all.
      • Revelation 136In the Book of Revelation, the Father alone is “God,” “the Almighty,” the Creator, the Supreme Ruler of all creation, and the One we must worship. The Son is subordinate to the Father but belongs with the Father when compared to the created universe.

Jesus in specific Bible passages

      • Philippians 2 – Four stages of Christ’s existence 137From a human perspective, He existed:
        (1) as equal with God before Him human birth,
        (2) as a human being,
        (3) for three days in human death, and
        (4) as exalted by God after His ascension.
      • 1 Corinthians 8:6 138Does this verse divide the words of the Shema between the Father and the Son?
      • Did Jesus claim to be God? 139Or did He claim to be the Son of God? (John 10:33-36)
      • Did Jesus claim to be One Being with the Father? 140This 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 the only-begotten or the only-unique? 141As the “only-begotten” (monogenēs) Son,
        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 (Col 1:15) 142Does this mean that He was literally born first, or that He is part of creation?
      • God’s Son created all things. 143All things, including creation, judgment, and salvation, are from God, the Father, but through His Son.
      • Where is Jesus in the Old Testament? 144Since 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

      • If Jesus is not God, why do we worship Him? 145We do not “worship” Jesus. The Greek word translated as “worship” (proskuneó) has a wide range of meanings, including to bow down before an exalted human being. It is only translated as “worship” if we assume that Jesus is God. Therefore, if a Bible translation says that Jesus is worshiped, that is an application of the Trinity Doctrine; not proof there-of.
      • Worship in Revelation 146If Jesus is worshiped in Revelation, does that mean that He is God?
      • Is Jesus worshiped in Revelation 5:14? 147The verse does not say who is worshiped. Are both the Father and the Son worshiped there?

Is Jesus called God?

Of the 1314 times that the Greek word theos (god) is found in the New Testament, 7 instances refer to Jesus. Does that mean that the Bible writers thought of Jesus as God Almighty?

      • John 1:1 148Some regard this verse as the clearest declaration of the Son’s deity.
      • The Greek word theos 153The Bible refers to Jesus as theos but that Greek word has a wide range of meanings. One possible meaning is reflected by the English word “God,” which refers only to the Ultimate Reality. But the term is also used for any immortal being with supernatural powers. In what sense of theos does the New Testament refer to Jesus?
      • John 1:18 The Only Begotten God 154Scholars 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! 155Thomas 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. 156This is most significant. The only possible exception is Romans 9:5 but the translation of this verse depends on punctuation, which is interpretation.
      • Hebrews 1:8-9 157Verse 8 refers to Jesus as theos but the next verse shows that He is not God because it says that God is His God.
      • Overview of these articles 158To translate theos as “God,” when it refers to Jesus, is an application of the Trinity doctrine; not proof thereof.

The Word of God

The New Testament, particularly John, refers to Jesus as the “Word.”


The True Origin of the Trinity Doctrine

For the first more than 300 years, the church fathers believed that the Son is subordinate to the Father. The Trinity Doctrine, in which the Son is equal with the Father, was developed by the three Cappadocians late in the fourth century. However, the decision to adopt it was not taken by the church:

      • The True Origin of the Trinity doctrine. 162The conventional account of the Arian Controversy, which resulted in the Trinity Doctrine, is a complete travesty. This article serves as a summary of the articles below.

The Apologists

The Apologists were the theologians of the first 3 centuries who had to defend Christianity at a time when the Empire attempted to exterminate Christianity.

      • Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35-107) 163He described the Son as our God but the Father as the only true God.
      • Polycarp (c. 69–155) 164Polycarp was a personal disciple of the Apostle John. He made a clear distinction between the Almighty God and His subordinate Son.
      • Justin Martyr (c. 100–165) 165Justin used Greek philosophy to explain the Son of God as a rational power that was begotten from the substance of God.
      • Irenaeus (c. 115-190) 166Irenaeus identified the Father as the only true God, alone Almighty, and the Head of Christ.
      • Did these church fathers describe Jesus as “god” or as “God?”  167The pre-Nicene fathers described the Son as “our God” but the Father as “the only true God,” implying that the Son is not “true” God. This confusion is caused by the translations. These fathers regarded the Son as subordinate to the Father but translators translate theos, when referring to the Son, as “God” because they accept the Trinity doctrine.
      • Sabellius (fl. c. 217-220) taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one Being. 168Sabellius taught that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three portions of the single divine essence. This represents a significant move away from the Logos-Christology of his day. He was declared to be a heretic but many of the participants in the Arian Controversy had similar views.
      • External resources: Pre-Nicene fathersDr. Tuggy’s podcasts 239-242.

Arius

The Arian Controversy began with a dispute between bishop Alexander of Alexandria and his presbyter Arius. Since that entire controversy was named after Arius, it may seem as if he was an important person:

The Nicene Creed (AD 325)

This is the most famous and influential creed in the history of the church.

Fourth-Century ‘Arianism’

The Council of Nicaea failed to end the Controversy. After Nicaea, for about 55 years, anti-Nicenes dominated the church.

      • The emperor determined the Christology of the church. 186After Nicaea, the emperors were ‘Arian’ and crushed the Nicene party. The reason is that, throughout the Arian Controversy, the emperor was the ultimate authority with respect to church doctrine.
      • What did fourth-century ‘Arianism’ believe? 187The 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.
      • Long Lines Creed 188An example of the many ‘Arian’ creeds that were developed during the fourth century
      • Homoiousianism 189This was one ‘strand’ of ‘Arianism’ during the Arian Controversy. In it, the Son’s substance is similar to the Father’s, but not the same.

The End of ‘Arianism’ in the Roman Empire

In the year 380, by means of the Edict of Thessalonica, Emperor Theodosius made the Trinitarian version of Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

End of all ‘Arianism’

After Emperor Theodosius died, the empire ‘fell’ to the ‘barbarians’. They were ‘Arians’ because they were evangelized during the 55 years of ‘Arian’ rule before Theodosius. It was through Emperor Justinian (in the sixth century) that a complete end was made to all opposition to Trinitarianism.

      • The Fall of the Roman Empire 192It did not fall; it transformed. Massive in-migration and top positions for ‘barbarians’ in the Roman Army allowed them to progressively assume control of the Empire.
      • Why the empire fell 193Factors include underfunding of the army, barbarian mercenaries, a plunder economy, pomp of rulers, high taxes, weak emperors, and Sassanid and Hunnic incursions.
      • After the empire fell, Arians ruled Europe again. 194In the fifth century, the Empire fell to the Germanic peoples. They were Arians because they received the gospel while ‘Arianism’ dominated the church in the fourth. This article also provides an overview of the events of the preceding fourth century.
      • Justinian subjected the Arian nations. 195In the sixth century, Justinian crushed the Arian nations, liberated the Church in Rome from Arian domination, and set up the Byzantine Papacy through which the emperors in the east, with their imperial version of Christianity, ruled Europe and crushed all opposition to the Trinity Doctrine.
      • The state religion of the Roman Empire became the church of the Middle Ages. 196With the support of the military power of the Roman Empire, the imperial version of Christianity (Trinitarianism) became the church of the Middle Ages, symbolized by Daniel’s evil eleventh horn.
      • The ‘church’ caused the massacre of the Waldensians. 197The church of the Middle Ages had the spirit of the Roman Empire. For example, the Waldensians were critical of Catholic beliefs. In return, the church called all to destroy them, causing centuries of massacres.

Authors on the Arian Controversy

Extracts from the writings of scholars who have studied the ancient documents for themselves:

      • Lewis Ayres, Nicaea and its Legacy 198A summary of this book, which provides an overview of the fourth-century Arian Controversy. Lewis Ayres is a Catholic theologian and Professor of Catholic and Historical Theology.
      • Lecture by RPC Hanson 199A very informative lecture on the Arian Controversy by RPC Hanson, a famous fourth-century scholar 
      • 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, based on The Ecclesiastical Edicts of the Theodosian Code 

Trinity Doctrine – General

Why Jesus had to die

Atonement – How does God erase sin?

Justification

How people are put right with God

The Law of Moses

Must Christians observe the Law of Moses?

Sermon on the Mount

The Sabbath 

In the Old Testament

Jesus’ Sabbath Healing Miracles

      • The demon-possessed man 226By healing a man on the Sabbath, Christ publicly contravened the traditions.
      • The man’s withered hand (Matt 12:9-14) 227The rulers wanted Jesus to heal on the Sabbath so that they could legally kill Him.
      • The crippled woman (Luke 13:10-17) 228The purpose of the Sabbath is to free people from Satan’s bonds.
      • The Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5) 229The strict traditions allowed little space for compassion, caused the Sabbath to become an intolerable burden, and depicted God as a tyrant.
      • The man born blind (John 9) 230Why did Jesus select specifically the Sabbath for His healing miracles?

Jesus’ Sabbath Teachings

Sabbath in the New Testament

      • No Sabbath Commandment 238Is the Sabbath commandment repeated in the New Testament?
      • Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. (Rom 14:5-6). 239If this refers to the Sabbath, then we may still observe the Sabbath. But it is a bit far-fetched to say that each person must decide about the weekly day of worship. This verse must be read within its context, and the context is a dispute about eating meat. Therefore, these “days” probably were fasting days.

State of the Dead

Eternal Torment

Will the lost be tormented for all eternity?

Why does evil exist?

Why does evil exist and why does God not make an end to all evil?

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 250After receiving the Holy Spirit, the church grew quickly but remained a Jewish sect, based in Jerusalem.
      • Judea and Samaria phase 251After the 490 years of Daniel 9 have come to an end, God dispersed the church to Judea and Samaria through persecution.
      • Gentile Dispute Phase 252When the first Gentiles became Christians, a dispute arose about whether they must observe the Law of Moses.
      • Separation Phase 253The church council (Acts 15 ) caused a separation between Jewish and Gentile Christians when it decided that Gentiles are not subject to the Law while Jewish Christians continued in the Law.
      • Theological Implications 254This history explains the disputes addressed by Paul’s letters.
      • Chronology – Dates for key events

Christ’s Return

Christ promised to return soon.

Romans

I did this study particularly to understand what the term “Israel” means in the prophecies of Revelation. This is explained by Romans 9 and 11.

Galatians

The letter to the Galatians is important because it describes the struggle between Paul and the Judaising Jewish Christians early on in the existence of the church.

Colossians

The deception in Colossians claimed to have received special knowledge from supernatural sources. It criticized other Christians for having an inferior religion.

Hebrews

Other

      • Christmas 284Christmas was derived from the pagan feast of the birthday of the Invincible Sun.
      • About Author 285Since I have no formal Bible training and since I am not part of any church group, I am free to present the truth as I understand it.
  • 1
    The Antichrist in Daniel, which is the same as the beast in Revelation, arises out of the Roman Empire; it is not Antiochus Epiphanes.
  • 2
    Liberal scholars claim that this prophecy describes the Greek king Antiochus IV, two centuries before Christ. In Dispensationalism, the prophecy culminates in an end-time Antichrist. In the traditional interpretation, which dominated before liberalism and Dispensationalism, the prophecy focuses on Jesus Christ.
  • 3
    Critical scholars teach that Daniel was written after the events it claims to predict.
  • 4
    The ultimate purpose of this website is to explain these prophecies and, finally, the mark of the beast.
  • 5
    Does Revelation describe events chronologically? Must it be interpreted literally? The temple in heaven, Christ’s Return, Hear/See Combinations, and the Numbers in Revelation
  • 6
    There was a book in heaven that not even Christ was able to read because it was sealed up 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?
  • 7
    This is the apex of Revelation. Revelation 12 provides an overview of history from before Christ until the end-time, Revelation 13 culminates in the end-time persecution, and Revelation 14 describes God’s response.
  • 8
    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 punishment or do the plagues have a higher goal?
  • 9
    Revelation has three beasts with seven heads and ten horns each; a great red dragon (Rev 12:3), the beast from the sea (Rev 13:1), and a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names (Rev 17:3).
  • 10
    Babylon is mentioned only once in the first 15 chapters (Rev 14:8) but the seventh and final plague targets her specifically (Rev 16:19). Then Revelation 17 and 18 are dedicated to explaining who and what she is.
  • 11
    The conclusion that Jesus is ‘God’ forms the basis of the Trinity Doctrine.
  • 12
    For the first more than 300 years, the church fathers believed that the Son is subordinate to the Father. The Trinity Doctrine was developed by the Cappadocian fathers late in the fourth century but the decision to adopt it was not taken by the church.
  • 13
    Including Modalism, Eastern Orthodoxy view of the Trinity, Elohim, and Eternal Generation
  • 14
    Discussions of the Atonement – How does God do away with sin?
  • 15
    How people are put right with God
  • 16
    Must Christians observe the Law of Moses?
  • 17
    Must Christians observe the Sabbath?
  • 18
    Are the dead still alive and aware?
  • 19
    Will the lost be tormented in hell for all eternity?
  • 20
    And why does God not make an end to all evil?
  • 21
    Key events that transformed the church into an independent religion
  • 22
    When? How? Has His return been delayed?
  • 23
    I do not hold any formal theological qualifications. Since I am not part of any religious organization, I am free to present the truth as I understand it. These articles are the result of my personal studies over many years.
  • 24
    Romans 1 to 3:8, and chapters 9, 11, and 14
  • 25
    Daniel 2 divides world history into six successive ages but does not mention the Antichrist.
  • 26
    Daniel 7 uses four beasts and eleven horns to symbolize empires and kingdoms. The 11th horn is the Antichrist.
  • 27
    Three alternative interpretations
  • 28
    A comparison of the beasts of Daniel 7 and 8 identifies the fourth beast, out of which the 11th horn grows, as the Roman Empire.
  • 29
    Does this phrase indicate that the horn arises out of Greece?
  • 30
    In Daniel 11, is the Vile Person of Antiochus IV or an end-time Antichrist?
  • 31
    This article lists several differences between the evil king of Daniel 7, 8, and 11 and Antiochus IV. Antiochus was a type of a much later and greater Antichrist.
  • 32
    This article gives an overview of the 490 years-prophecy, discusses the major points of dispute and analyzes the four major alternative interpretations.
  • 33
    Overview of the prophecy and its major alternative interpretations
  • 34
    The 490 years begin with a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Dan 9:25). This article evaluates five possible decrees.
  • 35
    The 490 years are an extension of God’s covenant with Israel.
  • 36
    The 490 years did not end at the Cross but a few years later when the Jews also rejected the Holy Spirit which has been sent with extraordinary power to Israel particularly.
  • 37
    Who confirms what covenant with whom?
  • 38
    What is destroyed in Daniel 9:27? The context, the poetic pattern, the chiasm, and the repetition of concepts provide the answer.
  • 39
    The prophecy does not describe events in chronological sequence; it alternates between two foci; Jerusalem and the Messiah.
  • 40
    When are the six goals for the 490 years fulfilled?
  • 41
    Translations differ in this regard due to different assumptions about punctuation.
  • 42
    Daniel 9 deals with Israel specifically, and with the 490 years allocated to her. The other prophecies deal with all nations and all time.
  • 43
    Daniel 9 has two parts; Daniel’s prayer, and the vision which Daniel received while still praying. The prophecy is the answer to Daniel’s prayer.
  • 44
    For liberal scholars, who do not accept that accurate predictions of the future are possible, the prophecy describes Antiochus IV – two centuries before Christ.
  • 45
    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.
  • 46
    No rapture – Christians will suffer the end-time tribulation.
  • 47
    In this, everything is symbolic; even the 490 years.
  • 48
    The full 490 years are past 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.
  • 49
    There was a strong consensus among the early church fathers that the prophecy was fulfilled in Christ.
  • 50
    Does the Dispensational interpretation fit the time indications in the prophecy?
  • 51
    He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week (Dan 9:27)
  • 52
    In Dispensationalism, the last week of Daniel 9:27 symbolizes the last seven years before Christ returns. Does this fit the specification of the prophecy?
  • 53
    Several other differences between Daniel 9 and the Dispensational interpretation
  • 54
    This is the traditional understanding of Daniel 9. In it, the 490 years are an extension of God’s covenant with Israel.
  • 55
    The 490 years began with Artaxerxes’ first decree in 458/7 BC.
  • 56
    The Messiah the Prince (Dan 9:26) is the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • 57
    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.
  • 58
    During the seven last years, Jesus confirmed God’s covenant with Israel; firstly, by His personal preaching and, secondly, after His death, by sending the Holy Spirit first and foremost to Israel.
  • 59
    Jesus’ death put an end to the value and meaning of the Jewish sacrificial system.
  • 60
    Daniel received this prophecy at the end of the 70 years of captivity prophecied by Jeremiah. Where do we find those 70 years in history?
  • 61
    This book provides important context for Daniel’s prophecies.
  • 62
    The theological faculties of the world no longer accept the supernatural. They have fallen to naturalism.
  • 63
    Evidence from the book itself, as well as from external sources, that Daniel was written before the events it predicts
  • 64
    Rome fell about 7 centuries after Daniel was written according to Critical Scholars, but it fell in exactly the way predicted by Daniel.
  • 65
    Does the absence of Darius in secular history prove that Daniel is fiction?
  • 66
    The Qumran sect regarded Daniel as inspired Scripture. Some of their Daniel scrolls are dated to only 50 years after Antiochus.
  • 67
    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?
  • 68
    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.
  • 69
    Is it valid to assume that everything in Revelation is literal unless it cannot be literal?
  • 70
    Every one of the five main parts of Revelation begins in the temple in heaven.
  • 71
    An overview of the end-time events, as described in Revelation, leading up to Christ’s return.
  • 72
    In Revelation, John sometimes hears about something but when he looks, he sees something completely different. However, it is the same thing.
  • 73
    All numbers in Revelation are symbols. This article explains the meaning of the numbers 2, 4, 7, and 12.
  • 74
    John saw a throne, symbolizing authority, One sitting on the throne, 24 elders on 24 thrones, and four living creatures, full of eyes
  • 75
    The 24 elders are human beings in God’s immediate presence; not angels.
  • 76
    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.
  • 77
    Revelation 4 is a timeless description of God’s throne room. Revelation 5 describes what happened in heaven when Jesus arrives after His ascension.
  • 78
    It is the Lamb’s Book of Life, which is the book of God’s judgments; indicating who will inherit eternal life.
  • 79
    Why Jesus was not worthy to break the seals before His death and how did His death make Him worthy? (Rev 5:3, 5, 9)
  • 80
    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.
  • 81
    The color white, the stephanos crown, and its never-ending conquering identify the white horse as the gospel.
  • 82
    The bloodshed, famine, and death in the next three horsemen are the consequence of the first (the gospel).
  • 83
    Does the cry of the souls under the altar symbolize a general principle or a specific event?
  • 84
    Are these literal souls, literally crying out to God for revenge?
  • 85
    The sixth seal concludes with Christ’s return. The Son of Man separates the people from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
  • 86
    Where does the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1-8 fit in the end-time events described later in Revelation?
  • 87
    God will make more power available to enable His last-day people to remain faithful during the catastrophic end-time events.
  • 88
    How does the sealing fit in the end-time events described in Daniel? God’s people are sealed during the Time of the End, as described by Daniel.
  • 89
    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?
  • 90
    Is the multitude before the throne the same as the 144,000? They seem like complete opposites. Is this multitude described before or after Christ’s return?
  • 91
    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.
  • 92
    This is something that literal interpreters usually claim.
  • 93
    About 2000 years ago, Christ redeemed humanity at the Cross. Why does God delay Christ’s return? What else does God need, in addition to Christ’s death 2000 years ago, to make a final end to evil?
  • 94
    The “male child” is Christ, but who is His mother? Is she Eve or Mary or Israel or the church or some higher-level principle?
  • 95
    A great red dragon swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Revelation 12 also describes a war in heaven between the dragon’s angels and Michael’s angels. Are the “stars” the same as the dragon’s angels?
  • 96
    When did the war begin and when was Satan thrown out?
  • 97
    What are Satan’s weapons and what did Michael use to overcome Satan?
  • 98
    If Christ’s death defeated Satan, why would “their testimony” also be required? (Rev 12:11)
  • 99
    After peace was restored in heaven, the war on earth only intensified (Rev 12:9, 12). Why did God not make an end to evil immediately after the Cross?
  • 100
    This beast is the Antichrist. People will be forced to accept its mark in the end-time. This article provides a preliminary identification. The third article in this series identifies it more specifically.
  • 101
    The sea beast has a fatal wound on one of its heads. Revelation 17 describes the same fatal wound and identifies it as the sixth head.
  • 102
    This article shows firstly 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 in Daniel 7 to history.
  • 103
    Revelation has seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven plagues. The first four of each series should be interpreted as a unit; not individually.
  • 104
    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.
  • 105
    The fifth plague angel pours his bowl out on the throne of the beast. The beast’s throne symbolizes its authority, which it received from the Roman Empire (Rev 13:2) But it is not military or economic power. It is Christian religious authority.
  • 106
    It is the final great proclamation of God’s message, symbolized as the loud cry (Rev 18:2), that will cause the darkness on the throne of the beast. That cry convinces the followers of the beast that the light from their religious system is darkness.
  • 107
    The Roman Empire made the Trinitarian version of Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire and destroyed all opposition. With the power of the Empire behind it, the ‘church’ of the Roman Empire became the ‘church’ of the Middle Ages and will remain the mainstream ‘church’ until destroyed by the seven last plagues.
  • 108
    The Euphrates symbolizes the people under the control of the beast. In other words, the beast’s support dries up.
  • 109
    In this plague, there are two groups of kings. Since the kings of the whole world oppose God, the kings from the east are the kings of God’s army.
  • 110
    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.
  • 111
    Is this a secret rapture?
  • 112
    Why must the Euphrates dry up before the kings from the east may come? (Rev 16:12)
  • 113
    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.
  • 114
    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.
  • 115
    The ultimate purpose is to show that God judges perfectly. But why would that be necessary?
  • 116
    What are they and how do they relate?
  • 117
    “Here is the mind which has wisdom.” (Rev 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.
  • 118
    The first four heads are the four beasts in Daniel 7, with 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.
  • 119
    The sixth of the beast’s seven heads is a weak head. It is the head that receives the fatal wound (Rev 13:3-4) and describes Daniel’s Time of the End.
  • 120
    She corrupts the people, unites the world against God, and is worldwide and timeless.
  • 121
    While Babylon always exists worldwide, the beast is a specific human organization that is one instance of the Babylon principle.
  • 122
    Babylon exists everywhere and for all human history, but false Christianity has adopted the Babylonian spirit.
  • 123
    Babylon’s “merchants were the great men of the earth” (Rev 18:23). They are the prophets of false Christianity.
  • 124
    Some literal interpreters propose that ancient Babylon will be rebuilt on the literal Euphrates River, to become the literal capital of the world.
  • 125
    Based on a comparison of the harlot of Revelation to church history, some identify the Papacy as Babylon.
  • 126
    The harlot sitting on the scarlet beast
  • 127
    Babylon the great, the mother of harlots
  • 128
    Christ is divine but also distinct from God and subordinate to the Father.
  • 129
    The Bible always distinguishes
    – not only between the Son and the Father
    – but between the Son and God.
  • 130
    The title, “the Almighty,” appears ten times in the New Testament and always refers to the Father alone.
  • 131
    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.
  • 132
    The Son has some of God’s divine attributes. For example, He is the only other being who has life in himself (John 5:26).
  • 133
    Did John use the term theos for both the Father and the Son?
  • 134
    Are we saved by Christ or by God? Who created all things and who reconciled all things to God; God or Christ Jesus?
  • 135
    God created all things through Jesus and holds all creation together through Jesus. He is distinct from God, but rules over all.
  • 136
    In the Book of Revelation, the Father alone is “God,” “the Almighty,” the Creator, the Supreme Ruler of all creation, and the One we must worship. The Son is subordinate to the Father but belongs with the Father when compared to the created universe.
  • 137
    From a human perspective, He existed:
    (1) as equal with God before Him human birth,
    (2) as a human being,
    (3) for three days in human death, and
    (4) as exalted by God after His ascension.
  • 138
    Does this verse divide the words of the Shema between the Father and the Son?
  • 139
    Or did He claim to be the Son of God? (John 10:33-36)
  • 140
    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).
  • 141
    As the “only-begotten” (monogenēs) Son,
    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?
  • 142
    Does this mean that He was literally born first, or that He is part of creation?
  • 143
    All things, including creation, judgment, and salvation, are from God, the Father, but through His Son.
  • 144
    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.
  • 145
    We do not “worship” Jesus. The Greek word translated as “worship” (proskuneó) has a wide range of meanings, including to bow down before an exalted human being. It is only translated as “worship” if we assume that Jesus is God. Therefore, if a Bible translation says that Jesus is worshiped, that is an application of the Trinity Doctrine; not proof there-of.
  • 146
    If Jesus is worshiped in Revelation, does that mean that He is God?
  • 147
    The verse does not say who is worshiped. Are both the Father and the Son worshiped there?
  • 148
    Some regard this verse as the clearest declaration of the Son’s deity.
  • 149
    Possible translations include:
    The Word was God,
    The Word was a god, and
    The Word was divine.
  • 150
    This is the Jehovah’s Witness translation of this verse.
  • 151
    To defend their translation, Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that “God” is a count noun. Is this a valid argument?
  • 152
    This translation interprets theos as definite, but John 1:1c uses theos in a descriptive sense, meaning that the Word was like God.
  • 153
    The Bible refers to Jesus as theos but that Greek word has a wide range of meanings. One possible meaning is reflected by the English word “God,” which refers only to the Ultimate Reality. But the term is also used for any immortal being with supernatural powers. In what sense of theos does the New Testament refer to Jesus?
  • 154
    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).
  • 155
    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?
  • 156
    This is most significant. The only possible exception is Romans 9:5 but the translation of this verse depends on punctuation, which is interpretation.
  • 157
    Verse 8 refers to Jesus as theos but the next verse shows that He is not God because it says that God is His God.
  • 158
    To translate theos as “God,” when it refers to Jesus, is an application of the Trinity doctrine; not proof thereof.
  • 159
    Some propose that the logos in John 1:1 is not a person but a personification of God’s eternal plan.
  • 160
    Everything that the creation receives from God, it receives through His Son.
  • 161
    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.
  • 162
    The conventional account of the Arian Controversy, which resulted in the Trinity Doctrine, is a complete travesty. This article serves as a summary of the articles below.
  • 163
    He described the Son as our God but the Father as the only true God.
  • 164
    Polycarp was a personal disciple of the Apostle John. He made a clear distinction between the Almighty God and His subordinate Son.
  • 165
    Justin used Greek philosophy to explain the Son of God as a rational power that was begotten from the substance of God.
  • 166
    Irenaeus identified the Father as the only true God, alone Almighty, and the Head of Christ.
  • 167
    The pre-Nicene fathers described the Son as “our God” but the Father as “the only true God,” implying that the Son is not “true” God. This confusion is caused by the translations. These fathers regarded the Son as subordinate to the Father but translators translate theos, when referring to the Son, as “God” because they accept the Trinity doctrine.
  • 168
    Sabellius taught that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three portions of the single divine essence. This represents a significant move away from the Logos-Christology of his day. He was declared to be a heretic but many of the participants in the Arian Controversy had similar views.
  • 169
    RPC Hanson states that no ‘orthodoxy’ existed but that is not entirely true. This article shows that subordination was indeed ‘orthodox’ at that time.
  • 170
    The term “Arianism” implies that Arius’ theology dominated the fourth-century church. But Arius was not regarded in his time as a significant writer. He left no school of disciples. The so-called ‘Arians’ never quoted Arius and actually opposed him.
  • 171
    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.
  • 172
    Over the centuries, Arius was always accused of this. This article explains why that is a false accusation.
  • 173
    There are significant differences between Origen and Arius. Where they agree, they agree because both followed the traditional Logos theology.
  • 174
    ‘Arians’ described Christ as from beyond our universe, the only being ever to be brought forth directly by the Father, and as the only being able to endure direct contact with God.
  • 175
    Arius wrote that the Son was begotten timelessly by the Father before everything. But Arius also said that the Son did not always exist. Did Arius contradict himself?
  • 176
    Arius wrote that the Son of God cannot change but Athanasius claimed that Arius taught the exact opposite, namely that the Son is “like all others … subject to change.”
  • 177
    New information has come forward to show that Arius is as a thinker and exegete of resourcefulness, sharpness and originality.
  • 178
    It is often said that the Council was called to determine whether Jesus is God. But that does not accurately describe the dispute prior to Nicaea.
  • 179
    The General Councils during the fourth century were the means by which the emperors governed the church. In that era, the emperor was the ultimate authority on church doctrine.
  • 180
    It says that the Son is equal to the Father in terms of substance, but subordinate to the Father in other respects.
  • 181
    Eusebius of Caesarea, the most respected theologian at the Council, immediately afterward wrote to his church in Caesarea to explain why he accepted the Creed and how he understood the controversial phrases.
  • 182
    The Creed not only uses non-Biblical words; the concept of homoousios (that the Son is of the same substance as the Father) is not in the Bible.
  • 183
    The word is not found in the Bible or in any orthodox Christian confession before Nicaea.
  • 184
    The Creed seems to say that the Father and Son are the same hupostasis. This is Sabellianism.
  • 185
    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?
  • 186
    After Nicaea, the emperors were ‘Arian’ and crushed the Nicene party. The reason is that, throughout the Arian Controversy, the emperor was the ultimate authority with respect to church doctrine.
  • 187
    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.
  • 188
    An example of the many ‘Arian’ creeds that were developed during the fourth century
  • 189
    This was one ‘strand’ of ‘Arianism’ during the Arian Controversy. In it, the Son’s substance is similar to the Father’s, but not the same.
  • 190
    He exiled ‘Arian’ bishops, expropriated ‘Arian’ church buildings, forbid ‘Arian’ meetings, and implemented his rulings through the Roman Army.
  • 191
    The wording of the creeds is similar but the meaning is very different.
  • 192
    It did not fall; it transformed. Massive in-migration and top positions for ‘barbarians’ in the Roman Army allowed them to progressively assume control of the Empire.
  • 193
    Factors include underfunding of the army, barbarian mercenaries, a plunder economy, pomp of rulers, high taxes, weak emperors, and Sassanid and Hunnic incursions.
  • 194
    In the fifth century, the Empire fell to the Germanic peoples. They were Arians because they received the gospel while ‘Arianism’ dominated the church in the fourth. This article also provides an overview of the events of the preceding fourth century.
  • 195
    In the sixth century, Justinian crushed the Arian nations, liberated the Church in Rome from Arian domination, and set up the Byzantine Papacy through which the emperors in the east, with their imperial version of Christianity, ruled Europe and crushed all opposition to the Trinity Doctrine.
  • 196
    With the support of the military power of the Roman Empire, the imperial version of Christianity (Trinitarianism) became the church of the Middle Ages, symbolized by Daniel’s evil eleventh horn.
  • 197
    The church of the Middle Ages had the spirit of the Roman Empire. For example, the Waldensians were critical of Catholic beliefs. In return, the church called all to destroy them, causing centuries of massacres.
  • 198
    A summary of this book, which provides an overview of the fourth-century Arian Controversy. Lewis Ayres is a Catholic theologian and Professor of Catholic and Historical Theology.
  • 199
    A very informative lecture on the Arian Controversy by RPC Hanson, a famous fourth-century scholar
  • 200
    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?
  • 201
    This is the Eastern Orthodoxy view of God, in which the “one God” is the Father. How does it differ from the Trinity Doctrine?
  • 202
    As presented by the respected Eastern Orthodox theologian, Father Thomas Hopko.
  • 203
    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?
  • 204
    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.
  • 205
    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
  • 206
    The “Persons” of the Trinity as modes, the New Testament authors as “primitive” theologians, divine simplicity, “social” Trinity theories, divine processions or lack thereof
  • 207
    The word does not mean to pacify God. It means a state of unity: at-one-ment.
  • 208
    To explain how Jesus’ death is the solution, we first have to understand the problem.
  • 209
    Christ died without sin, while suffering the worst possible temptations. This solved a problem in heaven.
  • 210
    Words such as redeemed, reconciled, justified, and reconciled are metaphors and must not be taken literally.
  • 211
    Christ died to demonstrate that it is just of God to justify sinners by faith alone.
  • 212
    This is not a contradiction because “the works of the Law” are very different from the ‘deeds’ by which God judges people.
  • 213
    Paul argued that God’s people are no longer subject to the Law of Moses and introduced the concept of “the Law of Christ.”
  • 214
    The Law was added more than 400 years after God made His covenant with Abraham. Therefore, the Law was temporary.
  • 215
    Jesus did not do away with the moral commandments but replaced them with higher standards.
  • 216
    It is God’s law as it always existed and always will exist.
  • 217
    What does “fulfill” mean and what are the Law and the Prophets?
  • 218
    This is some criticism by a reader on the previous article and my response there-on.
  • 219
    Since Jesus said nothing shall pass from the Law (Matt 5:19), why did the Church Council grant Gentiles freedom from the Law?
  • 220
    Jesus taught that people do not have immortality and that God judges people by their deeds.
  • 221
    God engrained the seventh day into human existence.
  • 222
    The evolution theory destroys the Bible’s core message.
  • 223
    A seven-day cycle apparently did exist before Moses.
  • 224
    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.
  • 225
    The traditions of the elders are extremely detailed laws that began as a hedge against sin but, eventually, represented God as a tyrant.
  • 226
    By healing a man on the Sabbath, Christ publicly contravened the traditions.
  • 227
    The rulers wanted Jesus to heal on the Sabbath so that they could legally kill Him.
  • 228
    The purpose of the Sabbath is to free people from Satan’s bonds.
  • 229
    The strict traditions allowed little space for compassion, caused the Sabbath to become an intolerable burden, and depicted God as a tyrant.
  • 230
    Why did Jesus select specifically the Sabbath for His healing miracles?
  • 231
    God made the Sabbath to be the best day of the week. Human needs are more important than the Sabbath.
  • 232
    While the Jews regarded healing as work and disallowed it on the Sabbath, Jesus deliberately healed on the Sabbath.
  • 233
    By contravening the traditions, He condemned the Jewish system of authority.
  • 234
    His healing miracles gave credibility to His teachings and to His claim to be the Messiah.
  • 235
    Man may and must work on the Sabbath to relieve suffering, to heal, and to teach about God.
  • 236
    Moses made rest the goal but Christ shifted the focus to the original purpose: To heal and restore.
  • 237
    Christ did not only interpret the Law of Moses; He replaced it with higher moral standards that existed from the beginning.
  • 238
    Is the Sabbath commandment repeated in the New Testament?
  • 239
    If this refers to the Sabbath, then we may still observe the Sabbath. But it is a bit far-fetched to say that each person must decide about the weekly day of worship. This verse must be read within its context, and the context is a dispute about eating meat. Therefore, these “days” probably were fasting days.
  • 240
    A discussion of 1 Corinthians 15
  • 241
    They will not suffer eternal torment. Man was not created immortal. Immortality is a gift which only believers will receive. A time will come when evil does not exist.
  • 242
    If God will annihilate the lost, why will the smoke of their torment rise forever?
  • 243
    If God will annihilate the lost, why does it say that the lost will be tormented day and night forever and ever in the lake of fire and brimstone?
  • 244
    When one delves deeper into the evidence for eternal torment, it becomes evidence for annihilation.
  • 245
    God promised to wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev 21:4) but if our loved ones will be tormented for all eternity, we will never have joy.
  • 246
    And they receive it only when Christ returns.
  • 247
    God creates intelligent beings with the freedom to choose between good and evil. Evil arose from that freedom.
  • 248
    A Study of the Book of Job
  • 249
    Both Paul and also Peter refer to them. They are supernatural beings that oppose Christ.
  • 250
    After receiving the Holy Spirit, the church grew quickly but remained a Jewish sect, based in Jerusalem.
  • 251
    After the 490 years of Daniel 9 have come to an end, God dispersed the church to Judea and Samaria through persecution.
  • 252
    When the first Gentiles became Christians, a dispute arose about whether they must observe the Law of Moses.
  • 253
    The church council (Acts 15 ) caused a separation between Jewish and Gentile Christians when it decided that Gentiles are not subject to the Law while Jewish Christians continued in the Law.
  • 254
    This history explains the disputes addressed by Paul’s letters.
  • 255
    An analysis of the Second Coming verses in the New Testament
  • 256
    The return of Christ will not be an isolated event but will be preceded and followed by a series of profound events.
  • 257
    Those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake. Those who commit lawlessness will be thrown into the furnace of fire, while the righteous receive everlasting life.
  • 258
    This article presents the three chapters side by side to show the similarities and differences.
  • 259
    Jesus said and His disciples believed that He will return soon.
  • 260
    What generation, did Jesus say, will not pass away until all these things take place?
  • 261
    What does the phrase, “the Son of Man comes” mean in this verse?
  • 262
    Does this refer to Christ’s physical return?
  • 263
    Was His promise to return soon fulfilled when He was resurrected and enthroned, followed by the Holy Spirit?
  • 264
    Or was AD 70 merely a type of the fullest destruction at the return of Christ?
  • 265
    Why did He not return in the first century as promised?
  • 266
    God does not override human freedom. He gives evidence of Himself but if we reject this evidence, there remains nothing that He can or will do, and He gives us up to our lusts.
  • 267
    On Judgment Day, God will justify the doers of the Law.
  • 268
    Did God reject Israel?
  • 269
    The book of Revelation often refers to Israel and her things. Romans 9 and 11 explain what Israel means.
  • 270
    The dispute was about as ‘weak’ Christians who regarded eating meat as idol worship.
  • 271
    If this refers to the Sabbath, then we may still observe the Sabbath. But it is a bit far-fetched to say that each person must decide for himself about the weekly day of worship. This verse must be read within its context, and the context is a dispute about eating meat. Therefore, these were probably “days” of fasting .
  • 272
    We must not confuse “deeds” and “the works of the Law.”
  • 273
    If eating meat may cause a weaker brother to stumble, rather abstain.
  • 274
    Galatians represents Paul’s arguments before the Jerusalem Church Council in Acts 15.
  • 275
    The Galatians were at risk of losing their eternal inheritance.
  • 276
    This phrase refers to “all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel.”
  • 277
    The Colossians were criticized for HOW they kept these days; not for keeping those days.
  • 278
    To become our high priest in the Tabernacle in Heaven, He had to suffer but remain without sin.
  • 279
    The earthly Tabernacle was only a copy of the reality in heaven, and could, therefore, not free people from guilt for sin.
  • 280
    Jesus guarantees God’s promise, “their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
  • 281
    We may draw near to God with, for Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses.
  • 282
    If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.
  • 283
    What God spoke through His Son has a much higher authority than the Old Testament.
  • 284
    Christmas was derived from the pagan feast of the birthday of the Invincible Sun.
  • 285
    Since I have no formal Bible training and since I am not part of any church group, I am free to present the truth as I understand it.