What did Jesus mean that He was the ‘Temple of God’?
This is an important question and one that is not often considered. The NT references Jesus as the Temple of God in fulfillment of all that God promised with regard to the Temple in the OT. I have argued that the Temple transcends a building and signifies the place of God’s presence amongst His people.
Will there be an Anti-Christ soon?
We must first be careful to ascertain what/who ‘anti-christ’ represents: a secular, political figure that usurps world control; or, false-teachers, who infiltrate into the people of God and lead many astray? Scripture suggests that anti-christs are commonplace (1 John 2:18).
What does the Bible say about Israel?
Here again we must define our terms. What does ‘Israel’ mean? The Bible uses the term at least 3 different ways. 1) Israel the person, aka Jacob, the son of Joseph. 2) Israel the chosen covenant people of God in the OT, the descendants of Jacob, the 12 tribes (though many ‘non-Israelites’ are included in this designation). 3) Israel the chosen covenant people of God in the NT, those who share the faith of Abraham (Gal 3:29; Rom 4; Gal 6:16). We can add a fourth. 4) Israel today; the modern nation; promised the land in the Balfour declaration 1917 and given the land in 1948
Was 1948 a fulfillment of prophecy?
I would say, no. For one, what prophecy? To cite the OT promises of land as applicable to 1948 fails to understand the nature of the fulfillment of the OT in the NT. Secondly, it fails to understand that the promise of restoration demands repentance (Deut 30:1-6).
Yes. ‘If anyone has ears, let him hear’ is an apocalyptic expression found in the book of Revelation and in the parables of Jesus (Rev 2:7; Mark 4:9)
I believe that the Two Witnesses are the entirety of the people of God. Learning how they are depicted is therefore essential. For their mission is our mission.
What are the keys to the book of Revelation?
Two key principles for understanding Revelation are: 1) The book is about Jesus (Rev 1:1). The resurrected, glorified, Lord whom we serve has defeated death! And, 2) the imagery within the book derives from the OT. Putting these two features together means that John is reading the OT in light of its fulfillment in Jesus!
What does the Bible say about the end-Times?
The entire NT should be read in light of Jesus’ ushering in the Kingdom of God, which itself is the beginning of what we often call the ‘end-times’
Does understanding the end-times have anything to do with my life now?
Everything. If the end-times have begun in Jesus and the coming of the Spirit, then we live in the last days. Not only that, but we have been given a mission
What does living in the end-times mean?
It means that we have been called to continue the mission of God in ushering in the Kingdom of God. The New Creation has begun. It is not something we are awaiting in the future; nor is it something that we sit idly by and watch. We have a mission
