Part One The dragon of Revelation 12 is also seen in chapter 13 where gives his power to the beast (Rev. 13:2), who is himself “a man” (Rev. 13:18). Likewise, the second beast of Revelation 13, who assists the first beast is identified later in the book as “the false prophet” (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). Not all of our questions are answered, and sometimes those that are leave us with more questions for which definitive answers elude us, but Scripture …
Category: Articles
This is part of the new book that I did not use (or most of it). I thought I might as well use it here as discard it altogether. Trying to get one’s head around the mixture of symbols in the book of Revelation is not an easy matter. The symbols create a visual picture in the mind of the reader. The question is, when are the symbols literal and when are they not? Let us inquire further into this …
A review of God’s Israel and the Israel of God: Paul and Supersessionism, edited by Michael F. Bird & Scot McKnight, Bellingham, WA, 2023, 188 pages, pbk. Any book that tries to tackle the issue of supersessionism or replacement theology should expect a welcome. Of course, exactly what one means by “supersessionism” has to be addressed, and good representatives of the discussion must be chosen. Sadly, this book fails on both counts. Since the subject of supersessionism has been a …
In 2 Peter 3 the Day of the Lord refers to the utter destruction of the present created order, either by annihilation or through renovation. As Revelation 20 puts this destruction a thousand years after the setting up of Christ’s earthly Kingdom[1] it means in 2 Peter 3:10-12 the Day of the Lord is confined to that final conflagration. The NT does not employ the phrase “Day of the Lord” to refer to historical visitations of divine wrath …
Biblical Covenantalism and First Peter Turning now to 2 Peter, I will assume that the author is the apostle who wrote 1 Peter. As with the first chapter of 1 Peter, 2 Peter 1 is a wonderful summary of Christian discipleship goals. This letter is shorter than 1 Peter and the themes are different; they deal with false teachers and the dissolution of the present order in terms of judgment. This makes it much closer in content to Jude, …
The book of 1 Peter is also marked by a Jewish flavor. This comes across pointedly in 1 Peter 1:18[1] which talks about “the tradition of your fathers.” The book certainly possesses strong Jewish overtones.[2] Jim Sibley writes, The available textual data most often cited that bears on the nature of the recipients are found in 1:1, 14, 18; 2:10; and 4:3–5. Most commentators decide that the audience must have been Gentile on the basis of 1:14 and 18, and …
The Epistle of James begins with a sentence that again may rattle the cages: James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. – James 1:1. The principal addressees of this epistle then are Jews. To state the contrary is in my opinion to indulge in flagrant misinterpretation. Why would the leader of the Church in Jerusalem address Gentiles in such a way? This is especially true …
This is from an older post from 2010. I’m too busy right now to write anything new 🙁 What is the basic Dispensational interpretation of Israel and the Church? Here is a quick answer: Once again I want to state that I think “Dispensationalist” is a lousy and inaccurate name for this type of theology. Firstly because dispensations are largely theologically mute. Secondly, because the real crux of the matter are the Biblical Covenants! I hope this response will be …
I have been asked by a lot of people when the second part of my Biblical Theology, The Words of the Covenant will be out. Thank you to everyone who has enquired. Here is an update. The Words of the Covenant: New Testament Continuation is nearing completion, although there is still a lot of writing and editorial work to do. Presently it is 450 pages long, but more must be added to the Introduction and Appendices. Lord willing I will …
Review of Adam Lloyd Johnson, Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality, Grand Rapids, Kregel, 2023, 256 pages, pbk. This book is something of a hybrid; a mix between a philosophy of religion text, an ethics text, a written debate, and a theology book. It’s author is a professor of Rhineland School of Theology in Germany, and also teaches at Midwestern Baptist Seminary. Divine Love Theory makes an important contribution to Christian ethics in …
