Category: Articles

The Kingdom Suffers Violence

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The weekly Sabbath, and the Feast of Tabernacles, which we recently observed with others of faith at time of this writing, both are intended to point us toward the time when God’s Kingdom will be established on the earth. Each Sabbath, and each Feast of Tabernacles, if kept properly, gives us a small foretaste of the Kingdom, to be reminded and convicted of its reality.

They remind us that the promised Kingdom of God is not just a pie-in-the-sky, Utopian dream, but an actual change in the government of the earth that will occur. It’s called the Kingdom of God because it will be a Kingdom, a literal government, established by the divine intervention of God Almighty himself in the world’s affairs and it will be ruled directly by God in the person of Jesus Christ (Daniel 7:14; Revelation 11:15).

Part of the reality of that promised Kingdom, however, is the fact that human beings have an opportunity to be participants in it, to have a part in the Kingdom of God, not as mere flesh and blood human beings, but as Sons of God changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, helping him to administer truth, equity and justice on the earth (Daniel 7:27; Philippians 3:20-21; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 20:6).

But what will it take for that opportunity to become a personal reality for each of us? From a personal standpoint, what will it take for you to be in God’s Kingdom? Continue reading →

Will the Levitical Priesthood Be Restored?

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Question: It’s been taught that after Christ’s return the Levites will once again offer burnt offerings and other sacrifices. Why is this necessary? Will it be used as a tutor to train people the overall scheme of things? Or is it meant figuratively?

Also, Jeremiah 33:18, says there will always be a Levitical priest to offer sacrifices and offerings. But there have not been priests doing offerings since 70 AD. So, it looks like it means that, as the Levites have been offering up sacrifices all these centuries, it is in a figurative or spiritual sense rather than literal. In verses 21-22, of this chapter, God refers to the priests as His ministers. So maybe all these things (specifically the offering of sacrifices after the return of Christ) are merely a type of the spiritual healing that will become the norm on earth.

Can you give me some feedback on this? Continue reading →

The Coronation of Joash

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When Jesus Christ returns to the earth that will in certain respects be perhaps the greatest single event in history, at least since the creation of man. It will be a pivotal point in man’s history and in the working out of God’s plan for mankind (Acts 3:19-21).

As we study various parts of the Bible dealing with this great event and the times immediately preceding it, we discover that it will occur to the accompaniment of a veritable chorus of sounding trumpets.

This great event which signals, among other things, the restoration of genuine peace, prosperity and joy to a suffering humanity. is prophesied and prefigured in the Bible in many different places. That this event is so prominent should not surprise us, because it is the very focal point of the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is in various ways the theme of the Bible from one end to the other.

Among a variety of historical events which prefigure events relating to the return of Jesus Christ and the restoration of God’s government to the earth is a particular one I want to discuss in this article. Specifically I want to discuss the coronation of King Joash of Judah, and circumstances associated with it. and show you how Joash’s coronation prefigures the coming of Jesus Christ. Continue reading →

Every Eye Will See Him

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Question:

The statement “every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7), is it a literal statement? I always figured Christ’s return would be a big event that would shake the whole world. Of course he could come like lightning, he could come any way that he wants. He could take a day or it could be instantaneous. From Scripture it seems that there will be no doubt when His coming takes place. The statement “even they who pierced Him,” to what is it referring?qr_Every_Eye

Do the armies of the world unite to fight Christ at his coming or do they just end up in Israel fighting each other? Is the Beast defeated militarily before Christ’s return? Continue reading →

Did Jesus Teach ‘Different Commandments’?

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Are the commandments Christ taught different from the ones revealed in the Old Testament, as some allege? The Sabbath, tithing and certain other laws, the reasoning goes, are not included in the commandments Christ was referring to when he said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). This idea is hardly a new one. It was taught by second century teachers such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, and numerous others who followed down through the centuries. But what does God’s word say? Did Jesus teach a different set of commandments? Continue reading →