1991 – Volume 2
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
With this statement, a candidate is baptized and welcomed as a new member of the body of Christ. The phrase taken from Matthew 28:19 followed Jesus' command to baptize all nations. But is this phrase really the saying of Jesus? Or was the scripture altered during the third century to support the development of the doctrine of the trinity? Since the concession that 1 [...]
The Seven Churches of Revelation
The seven churches of Revelation, as described in chapters two and three of that Book, have intrigued Bible expositors down through the age. Were the messages to these churches intended mainly for the congregations to which they were sent during the apostolic period? Were they intended to be instructive in a general way to the church worldwide in every period of its development? Or [...]
Mixing Oil and Water
There is an old saying that oil and water don't mix. Yet there is one place in the Bible where these two elements are combined to form one illustration. It is the illustration of unity, and it is found in the 133rd Psalm. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment [...]
An Introduction to the Exodus: A Picture of the Plan of the Ages
A people oppressed by cruel taskmasters are freed from oppression by the mighty acts of God: Israel's Exodus from Egypt. Who has not been moved by the recounting of it? But many scriptures in both Old and New Testaments point out a greater significance. By the Exodus our God has shown how He will eventually deliver His church and the world of mankind from [...]
Atonement: Leviticus Chapter 9 vs. Chapter 16
Bible Students have long appreciated the Plan of God as it is illustrated in the Tabernacle arrangement of the ancient Israelites. This Tabernacle or tent had two compartments containing articles of gold. It was placed in a courtyard surrounded by a high white curtain. The Tabernacle's construction details are recorded in the book of Exodus. A structure alone benefits no one. There must also [...]
Overview of Church History
This article and accompanying timeline present an overview of the history of the church which claims the name of Christ. Neither the article nor the timeline is intended to be comprehensive. They simply highlight individuals, events, and objects. The timeline covers two millennia while this article primarily presents an overview of the early years of Christianity through the 5th century. THE CHURCH FOUNDED From [...]
New Testament Greek Words Regarding Christ’s Second Presence
Below is a brief review of the relevant words, followed with a chart of their appearances in the Scriptures. Erchomai. The first thing one must do to be present is “to come.“ Thus the word erchomai is used more frequently of Christ's Second Advent than all others combined. The noun form, elevsis, means “coming.” Another form, ho erchomenos, means “the coming one,” or “he [...]
A Harvest Psalm – Psalm 82
This Psalm seems to divide into three major divisions: (1) Verses 1 through 5, (2) verses 6-7, and (3) verse 8. The first section refers to Jesus standing in judgment against the mighty ones of earth. Verses 6-7 have Jesus turning to the saints and saying “you are the ones who will help execute this judgment.” The final verse is apparently David (as John [...]
Three Days and Three Nights
PROBLEM In Matthew 12:40 Jesus indicated he would be in the tomb for "three days and three nights" an expression in our time and culture that implies three 24 hour time periods, or 72 hours. The rest of the biblical record, however, indicates the time was considerably shorter (Friday afternoon to Sunday morning). How do we harmonize this apparent disagreement? An understanding of Hebrew [...]
Genesis 2:2
Probably many Bible students have been puzzled by the wording of Genesis 2:2. The KJ reads: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Most translations are very similar, although some have “finished” instead of “ended.“ As this reads, it is contradictory and confusing. [...]
An Ass and a Colt
Zechariah 9:9 reads: “Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh upon thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, [even] upon a colt the foal of an ass.” The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was described in all four Gospels. In Mark, Jesus instructed his disciples: “... ye shall find [...]
I Saw God!
“I saw God.” Only two men in human history could really make such a statement. The mediator of the Old Covenant, Moses, saw the back of God passing by (Exod. 33:23), and the mediator of the New Covenant, the man Christ Jesus, saw Him face to face (John 1:18). However, at least three prophets received visions in which they were privileged to see the [...]
Israel, Iraq and the Gulf Crisis
A LAND BROUGHT BACK FROM THE SWORD “After many years thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of [...]
From a Reader
I appreciated [the article of last issue] concerning Leviticus 9 and 16, especially the mention of the Elders in Lev. 9:1 as I had found no other reference to that. Could you please expound on that. All I can ascertain as to their purpose, aside from being witness to those events, is from verse 5: “So they brought that which Moses had commanded” (Rotherham), [...]
Birthright
A “double portion” of the paternal property was allotted by a birthright of the firstborn son, under the Mosaic law. The “double portion” was the right of the firstborn, even if he were the child of a less favored wife. (Deut. 21:15-17) The blessing of the firstborn had a basis even in Genesis. In Genesis 49 Jacob called his sons, and began the blessing [...]
Glimpses of God
Strong's #3068 - Yehovah - (the) self existent or eternal, from Strong's #1961, hayah, to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass. Oldest manuscripts present the name in the form of four consonants, commonly called the Tetragrammaton (from the greek tetra meaning four and gramma meaning letter). These four letters are YHWH. The Hebrew alphabet was composed of 22 consonants. The vowel sounds [...]
History of the Ark
"The Ark of the Covenant ... represented the eternal purpose of God ... for mankind in the Christ ... Christ Jesus and his Bride, the 'little flock,' to be ... imbued with power and great glory." Below is a summary of the Old Testament narratives regarding the Ark. Sinai References Construction directions from God. Ex. 25:10-22 To be placed in the Most Holy. Ex. [...]