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THE ANTICHRIST IN DANIEL
By comparing the beasts of Daniel 7 and 8, these articles show that the Antichrist came out of the Roman Empire. They also show that the Antichrist cannot be Antiochus IV, as critical scholars claim.
THE 490 YEARS OF DANIEL 9
Discussion of the Four Major Interpretations of the 490 years
IS THE BOOK OF DANIEL A FORGERY?
This is how the academic world views the book.
DEATH, ETERNAL LIFE, AND ETERNAL TORMENT
List of articles on Death, Eternal Life, and Eternal Torment – Will the lost be tormented for all eternity? Or will they be annihilated? Are the dead in heaven as conscious immortal souls? With what kind of body are God’s people resurrected?
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
Christianity began as a Jewish sect but four major events in the subsequent decades separated it from Judaism:
(1) Receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost;
(2) Persecution by the Jews in Jerusalem;
(3) The first uncircumcised Gentile Christians, and
(4) The Acts 15 Church Council.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Recommended podcasts: Jon Paulien is a respected Adventist scholar that has spent much of his life studying Revelation. I recommend the following from him:
ETERNAL TORMENT
CHRISTOLOGY
VERSE-BY-VERSE DISCUSSIONS
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- Colossians
- Galatians
- Romans
- Who is Israel in the book of Revelation? – Romans 9 and 11
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OTHER SPECIFIC TOPICS
- For general discussions of theology, I recommend Graham Maxwell, who you will find on the Pineknoll website.
ROMANS
ROMANS 1
“Unrighteous” man explains “live by faith”. God reveals “His invisible attributes”, but this man rejects God. God then gives the man over to impurity.
ROMANS 2
Romans 2 warns Jewish Christians that they will not be justified by the Law. It announces judgment of deeds, but that is justification by faith.
ROMANS 3:1-8
These verses deal with the same topic as Romans 9 and 11, namely the causes and consequences of Israel’s rejection of Christ.
ROMANS 9–11
An independent and original interpretation of Romans 9 – 11 to identify the Israel of prophecy Article in Word
ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED
This is a summary of the article on Israel in Romans 9 – 11. While the main article more or less sequentially works through Romans 9 – 11, this article discusses these chapters thematically. Article in Word
ELECTION IN ROMANS 9 – 11:
Romans 9-11 contain many strong election statements, but this is election to a mission, not to salvation, as is confirmed by the Jacob-example and others. Article in Word
ROMANS 14
ROMANS 14:1-4
Some Christians in Rome did not eat meat, namely, Gentiles converted from idolatry, who still believed that meat offered to idols gave idols control over them.
KOINÓS UNCLEAN
The Greek word ‘koinós’ is translated “unclean” in Romans 14:14. It does not refer to the unclean animals of the Old Testament.
FOOD IN CORINTH
Similarities to 1 Corinthians 8-10 imply that the same dispute existed, namely meat sacrificed to idols. For the weak Christian eating meat is idol worship.
ROMANS 14:5-6 DAYS
Not the Sabbath – No Jewish elements – Issue is non-Jewish – Would contradict Galatians – Sabbath requires specific treatment – In context probably meat-days.
ROMANS 14:7-13
Judgment Seat of God: Judged by deeds but not be justified by the works of the Law. The difference is a difference in the Law and a difference t=in the function of the Law.
ROMANS 14:13-23
Rather Abstain: Strong Christians can harm weaker brethren by eating such unholy food, and should not eat meat rather than to cause harm.
GALATIANS 1
1:1-5: Introduction to the letter
1:6-9: Distort the gospel of Christ; Accursed
1:10-12: Gospel received through a revelation of Jesus Christ
1:13-14; Ancestral traditions
1:15-24: Short review of Paul’s history & Overview of Galatians 1
GALATIANS 2
2:1-10
Visit to church headquarters in Jerusalem;
Titus not compelled to be circumcised
2:11-14
Conflict with Peter in Antioch over forcing Gentile Christians to be circumcised and to live like Jews
2:15-16
Church Council in Acts 15; Man is not justified by observing the Law of Moses. Jewish Christians continued to observe the Law of Moses.
2:17-18
What did Paul destroy?
2:19-20
Died to the Law, to live to God
2:21
Nullify the grace of God, which is Christ’s death, by striving for righteousness through the Law
OVERVIEW OF GALATIANS 1 & 2
Arguments for and against the circumcision of Gentile Christians
GALATIANS 3
Galatians is important because it describes the very early power struggle between Paul and Judaising Jewish Christians.
Gal 1:1-5 – According to the will of our God and Father, Jesus gave Himself to rescue us from this present evil age.
Gal 1:6-9 – The Galatians accepted a dangerously distorted gospel.
Gal 1:10-12 – Paul received his gospel directly from Jesus Christ.
Gal 1:13-14 – The emphasis on outward behavior in Traditions of the Elders shifts the focus away from God to self.
Gal 1:15-24 – Short review of Paul’s history & Overview of Galatians 1.
Gal 2:1-10 – Paul took an uncircumcised Gentile Christian to the church leaders in Jerusalem. The church leaders accepted him.
Gal 2:11-14 – God instructed Peter to accept Gentiles without circumcision but he yielded to the Circumcision Party.
Gal 2:15-16 – The Acts 15 Church Council confirmed that Gentile Christians do not have to convert to Judaism.
Gal 2:17-18 – Paul’s teachings destroyed the law; the dividing wall between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Gal 2:19-20 – Christians are not subject to the Law of Moses but to the Law of Christ.
Gal 2:21 – To attempt to earn “righteousness” through the Law is to nullify “the grace of God.”
Gal 3:1-5 – The Galatians received the Spirit without the Law but want to continue in their own power.
Gal 3:6-9 – Those who believe are sons of Abraham.
Gal 3:10-14 – No one is justified by the Law because no one is able to comply with the law.
Gal 3:15-18 – Jesus Christ is Abraham’s true Seed. As such, He inherited the Covenant promises.
Gal 3:19-25 – When Christ came, He became our Tutor. We no longer need the Law.
Gal 3:26-29 – There is no need to circumcise Gentile Christians because Israel no longer has a separate role in God’s plan.
OVERVIEW OF GALATIANS CHAPTERS 1 TO 3
CHAPTER 4 – Work in Progress
TRANSVERSAL TOPICS
Galatians represents Paul’s arguments before the Jerusalem Church Council in Acts 15.
The Galatians were at risk of losing their eternal inheritance. What exactly did they do wrong?
COLOSSIANS
Colossians 1:1-8
Introduction of the letter – Paul is the author – addressed to the church in Colossae – the Father is the One Who willed Paul’s apostleship
Colossians 1:9-14
The Father rescued us to share in the kingdom of His beloved Son. The deception in Colossae claimed to have special knowledge.
Colossians 1:15-19
The deception claimed to have received special knowledge from supernatural beings apart from Christ, but all knowledge is found in Christ; the Creator of all.
Colossians 1:20-22
In the time before Christ, some intelligent earthly and heavenly creatures waged war against God by evil deeds. God was not angry. He ended the war by providing evidence through Christ’s death, which even heaven needed.
Colossians 1:23-28
Paul rejoices in his suffering because it part of the stewardship he received from God. The Lord gave Paul a new message, namely that Gentiles can also be saved.
Colossians 2:1-4
Deceivers in Colossae were merging the church with mystery religions, arguing that Christ is not the only source of supernatural knowledge.
Colossians 2:5-8
The Colossian deception was man-made pagan philosophy; not Old Testament law. It claimed that God’s grace flow to man through various supernatural mediators.
Colossians 2:9-10
The deception claimed that Christians will only be complete if they obey supernatural rulers. But Christians, trusting Christ, are already complete.
Colossians 2:11 – Circumcision without hands
A heart circumcised by the Spirit loves the LORD and His Law and hates sin. Its guilt and penalty for past sins are canceled.
Colossians 2:11-14
Christians were made complete through the circumcision of the heart, through baptism into Christ’s cross, and by canceling their certificate of debt, which is forgiving all their sins.
- Colossians 2:14 – Translations of cheirographon – Essentially only the KJV implies that the Law of Moses has been canceled. Most translations imply that the penalties for our sins have been canceled.
Colossians 2:14 – Certificate of debt consisting of decrees – Given the pagan nature of the deception cheirographon is not the Law of Moses. It is a note of indebtedness, as confirmed by most translations and by the context. It means to be “dead in your transgressions”.- Comparing Colossians 2:14 to Ephesians 2:15 – Ephesians 2:15 abolishes the Law of Moses and is similar to Colossians 2:14, but Colossians 2:14 abolishes something else to achieve a different purpose.
- Colossians 2:15 – Satan accused God of unfair judgment. The cross demonstrated the true nature of both sides of the war in heaven and vindicated God’s judgment.
- Colossians 2:16 Introduction – While the Sabbath is heavily debated, but it was a not controversial issue in Paul’s day.
Colossians 2:16 – Feasts … New Moons … Sabbaths – “Festival … new moon … Sabbath” (Col. 2:16) is a technical phrase for “all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel”.
COLOSSIANS: SPECIFIC TOPICS DISCUSSED:
HEBREWS
SERIES OF ARTICLES ON HEBREWS’ DEPICTION OF JESUS AS OUR HIGH PRIEST:
How Jesus became high priest.
God perfected Jesus through suffering. Jesus offered Himself without blemish to God, making purification of sins through death. Jesus then sat down on His Father’s throne and became our high priest in the tabernacle in heaven.
Jesus is a better high priest.
The Levitical priesthood was merely a copy and shadow of the tabernacle in which Jesus serves, and was for that reason unable to do away with sin. “Perfection”—a word which Hebrews uses for being put right with God—is only possible only through Christ.
Jesus appears before God for us.
He is sympathetic and merciful. God promised, “their lawless deeds I will remember no more”, and our high priest Jesus guarantees that promise.
Draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, for Jesus is faithful and sympathetic with our weaknesses: an analysis of the introduction and conclusion of the large middle section of Hebrews (4:14-10-31) which discusses Jesus as our high priest.
Impossible to renew them again to repentance. Perfected people continue to sin unintentionally and they continue to do things that they do not want to do. But in spite of those things they remain “perfect”. But if they go “on sinning willfully”, then there only remains “a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries” (10:27).
VERSE BY VERSE DISCUSSION OF HEBREWS:
Hebrews 1:1-3: Christ’s message is superior to that of the Old Testament prophets because He is superior to them. He is God’s Son—the exact representation of God’s nature. Through Him God made everything and through Him, God still holds everything together.
SABBATH
The Seventh Day – blessed at creation, counted by Noah, made a Sabbath by Moses, corrupted by the Traditions, reformed by Christ, and avoided by Paul.
THE OLD TESTAMENT SABBATH
- Blessed And Sanctified At Creation
The specialness of the seventh day is part of what God created and permanently engrained into human existence. - Evolution
The view that God created man over millions of years by guiding evolution makes the Bible’s core message null and void. 
From Creation To Moses
Evidence exists for a seven-day cycle before Moses, but not that the seventh day was a day of physical rest.- The Sabbath in The Law of Moses
The Sabbath was a Symbol of Liberation, a Day of Rest, a help to Israel remember the Lord and a Test of Obedience. It was not a day for church meetings or a day to seek the Lord.
JEWISH SABBATH TRADITIONS
- The Jewish Traditions are extremely detailed laws that the Jews added to the Old Testament. It was intended to help them keep God’s Law, but by representing God as a tyrant, it eventually separated them from God.
THE LAW OF CHRIST
The Law of Christ (1Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2) – Christ replaced the Law of Moses with a higher law – the Law of Christ. This law existed “from the beginning” and reveals the Father’s heart.
CHRIST SABBATH INCIDENTS
First Two Sabbath Healing Miracles
(Luke 4; Mark 1) – Early in His ministry Christ publicly contravened the traditions by healing a man on the Sabbath. This prepared the ground for the later confrontations.
The Man With The Withered Hand
(Matthew 12:9-14 and Mark 3:1-6) – Jesus healed the man, saying, “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath”. The Pharisees went out and immediately began to conspire as to how they might destroy Him.
The Crippled Woman
(Luke 13:10-17) – The Pharisees became angry because Jesus healed the woman. Jesus then asked, “should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
When His Disciples Picked Grain
(Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5) – His disciples were accused of breaking the Sabbath. He defended them by saying “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”, and claimed to be “Lord of the Sabbath”.
The Invalid at Bethesda
(John 5) – He justified the healing by saying: “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working … the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing” (John 5:19).
The Man that was Born Blind
(John 9) – The miracle healings supported His astounding claims, condemned the Pharisees and explained the Sabbath as a day for the “good works from the Father”.
CHRIST AND THE SABBATH
The articles above each deal with a specific Sabbath incident from the gospels. The current series of articles is a topical overview of the main principles.
Christ Deliberately contravened the Sabbath
The Jews defined healing as work that is disallowed on the Sabbath. Still Jesus deliberately healed on the Sabbath. The message, therefore, is important.
The Real Reason They Killed Jesus
He contravened the Jewish traditions and, therefore, was a threat to the authority of the religious rulers.
Opportunity To teach
The miracles gave credence to His astounding claims, such as that the Father is in Him, and He in the Father, and created the opportunity to teach.
What Jesus taught about the Sabbath
What did Jesus teach may and must be done on the Sabbath?
Jesus taught a different Sabbath.
Moses made rest the goal. Christ shifted the focus to the purpose, namely to free people from Satan’s bonds. Rest is for this purpose and remains.
Is the Sabbath commandment repeated in the New Testament? What are the implications?
OTHER
Christmas: Its Meaning and Origin
God’s willingness to become a human being reveals much about Him, but 25 December was derived from the pagan feast of the birthday of the Invincible Sun.
Eternal Life and Death in Paul’s Letters
Paul never wrote of eternal punishment for sinners. He consistently warns that sinners will die.
Author
I have no formal Bible training and do not hold a formal office in any church.
WAR IN HEAVEN
War in Heaven – This article has not yet been published.
Rulers and Authorities
Supernatural beings that oppose Christ
Disarmed the rulers and authorities
The Cross was the solution, but what was the problem, and how did the Cross solve that problem?
JUSTIFICATION CONCEPTS
Grace
His merciful kindness
In Christ
A study of the meaning of the phrase “in Christ”, which is often found in Paul’s writings. Christ is the Vehicle through which we are rescued from this present evil age;
Justified
An interpretation of the Greek word normally translated as “justified”. It means to be reconciled to God or put right with God.
Live by
An Old Testament expression that means to be right with God (justified).
Righteousness
A synonym for Justify; to be “put right with God”
Reconciled
How did Christ’s death reconcile us to God? Did He pay the price? Did He pacify God? Does justice require somebody to suffer? Did He prove God’s judgment?
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
REVELATION – A CHRONOLOGICAL SERIES OF EVENTS?
Many people believe that Revelation it is a chronological record of events from start to finish. However, Revelation explains some things repeatedly, and sometimes even reverses the order of events. Article in Word
THE SEVEN SEALS (Revelation 4-7)
What book does Jesus open? What are the seals of the book? Who are the 144000? What is the great tribulation? Who is the innumerable multitude?
DOES THE SEVENTH SEAL INCLUDE THE TRUMPETS?
The trumpets have their own introduction, a theme different from the seals and focus on different people. The seals and trumpets end with the consummation.
REVELATION 12
REVELATION 13
THE BEASTS WITH SEVEN HEADS
Revelation has three beasts with 7 heads and 10 horns—the Dragon, Sea Beast, and Scarlet Beast on which the harlot sits. What are these beasts? Prior reading advised is Daniel’s evil horn–Greek or Roman? Article in Word
THE SEVEN HEADS OF THE BEAST
The heads are limited to Daniel’s four beasts and 11th horn, but the 11th horn has three phases, and the wound-period is the sixth head. Prior reading advised is Daniel’s evil horn–Greek or Roman? Article in Word
BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
Who is Babylon? She exists for all human history, corrupts the people and reigns over the kings, but also destroyed by the kings.
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
FIRST FOUR PLAGUES
All people divide into two groups; the larger group persecutes the smaller. The plagues only affect the larger group. How do they react? Do they repent?
THE FIFTH PLAGUE
The fifth plague destroys the Beast’s right to rule. What gives the Beast its right to rule, and how is this destroyed?
EUPHRATES DRIED UP (6th plague)
Euphrates dried up. The way for the kings from the east is prepared. Demons perform miracles to gather the kings for war at Armageddon.
BABYLON SPLITS IN THREE (7th plague)
Voices, thunder, lightning, an earth-shattering earthquake splitting Babylon into three and massive hail, but still people blaspheme God. Literal or symbolic?
PURPOSE OF THE PLAGUES
Nobody is saved during plagues. Why then does God torment with plagues? Why has God not made an end to sin a long time ago?
Will the church go through the great tribulation or will it be raptured? Is there any scriptures that gives the answer.
Thanks much
Marcia Steer