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When Was the Book of Revelation Written?
Traditionally, the book of Revelation has been dated near the end of the first century, around A.D. 96. Some writers, however, have advanced the preterist (from a Latin word meaning "that which is past") view, contending that the Apocalypse was penned around A.D. 68 or 69, and thus the thrust of the book is supposed to relate to the impending destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70). A few prominent names have been associated with this position (e.g., Stuart, Schaff, Lightfoot, Foy E. Wallace Jr.), and for a brief time it was ... read more »
Editor’s Choices
Making Sense of the Bible
Some books you can take or leave - one way or the other, and it won't make much difference - if any. The Bible is not in that category. If you "leave" it, you've lost the most important body of information in the world - ... read more »
What Does the Scripture Say?
"What does the scripture say?" Is this a relevant question? The fourth chapter of the book of Romans begins with a question. Was Abraham, the physical forefather of the Jewish people, found to be just before God due to his own efforts, e.g., the perfect ... read more »
Revelation 7 & 14 – The 144,000
According to the Watchtower Witnesses, the "kingdom" or "the church" will consist ultimately of only 144,000 people who will be in heaven. Supposedly, this "ruling body" will exercise authority over the rest of those receiving eternal life, who will live upon God's glorified earth (Let ... read more »
Recent Articles
Three Views of Self
In one of his compositions, poet John Donne had this phrase: "No man is an island." Whatever the expression meant to him, it contains a general truth. None of us lives an isolated existence. While we see ourselves in a certain light, others may view ... read more »
Lessons from the Ark of the Covenant
When the children of Israel were delivered from Egyptian servitude, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. There Jehovah gave them a temporary house (tent) of worship-the tabernacle. The tabernacle consisted of two rooms: first, the holy place, in which the priests ministered daily; then, ... read more »
Five Alleged Mistakes in the Bible
A recent article entitled Five Mistakes in Your Bible Translation which appeared in the Huffington Post , a liberal online newspaper, alleges that the Bible contains numerous translation errors. Let us consider some of the examples mentioned. Covet Doesn't Mean Covet Supposedly, the command, "You ... read more »
Is the Restoration Plea Valid?
There are two basic attitudes relative to the Christian religion. One disposition affirms that Jehovah, across several millennia of history, meticulously prepared for the advent of Christ and the spiritual system which he would inaugurate. It argues that Christianity, as such existed in the first ... read more »
The Curse of Covetousness
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, king of Israel, explored the various avenues that men pursue in their quest for happiness. One area of particular interest was that of material wealth. Surely, it is frequently believed, if a man accumulates wealth he can be contented. ... read more »
What Do You Know About the Holy Spirit?
The phrase "the Holy Spirit" is found more than ninety times in the New Testament (ASV). One would think that the average Christian would have a reasonable knowledge of this theme, but generally that is not the case. The Nature of the Spirit A Personal ... read more »
Paul’s Condemnation of Will-Worship
The church at Colossae was troubled by a heretical movement that seriously compromised the integrity of the Christian gospel. It was a conglomerate mixture of Judaism, asceticism (radical self-abuse), and proto-Gnosticism. For an extended discussion, see Lightfoot (1892, 71-111). One aspect of the heresy depicted ... read more »
The Bible Doctrine of Sanctification
The Greek terms that are rendered into English by "sanctification," "holy," and "saints" convey important biblical truths. Unfortunately, in the world of "Christendom" many erroneous ideas have grown up around these expressions. Some interpret "sanctified" as the equivalent of "saved." Practically speaking, the saved and ... read more »
The Indestructible Church of Christ
Have there been members of the true church of Christ since Pentecost? Some answer yes, based upon certain biblical texts; others doubt it since there appears to be no continuous historical record of such. Daniel, in considering the future administration of the Roman Empire (63 ... read more »
What About the Name Jehovah?
The question occasionally arises: "Why is the name Jehovah not found in the King James Version of the Bible, or in most modern translations?" The term "Jehovah," appearing in the American Standard Version (1901), takes the place of "LORD" (all caps) in the King James ... read more »
A History of the Baptism Apostasy
The theme of baptism is one of the simplest and easiest to understand of most any theological subject in the New Testament. How tragic it is, therefore, that there should be so much confusion-indeed such uncommon error-in the community of "Christendom" regarding this important New ... read more »
Is All Remarriage After Divorce Condemned?
There are numerous diverse views in the world of "Christendom" regarding the matter of divorce and remarriage. One novel idea is that the New Testament allows no cause for divorce and remarriage. This is the position of the Roman Catholic Church. A valid Christian marriage, ... read more »
Is the Genesis Creation Account Poetry?
Liberal theologians have long sought to recast the Genesis record of origins by a variety of exegetical manipulations. One of these is the theory that the Mosaic narrative in Genesis 1 and 2 is not a document of prose-oriented history. Instead, it is alleged to ... read more »
Did Jesus Exclude Repentance from Forgiveness?
Question: Would you explain what appears to be a conflict in the way we interpret the Scriptures? Jesus frequently encountered sinful people whom he "forgave," with no mention of repentance. For example, he said to a crippled man, "Son, be of good cheer, your sins ... read more »
What Happens To A Person At Death?
When the human body dies, it goes back to the dust of corruption (Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 12:7; 2 Corinthians 5:1) where it remains until the "last day" of earth's history (John 6:44, 54). At that point it will be raised in a new form, an ... read more »
