Real Voices

The Book of Exodus begins with the declaration, “These are the names.” This introductory phrase establishes a connection between Exodus and the Book of Genesis, emphasizing the fulfillment of God’s promise to the patriarchs. The promise assured the multiplication of Jacob’s twelve sons and the growth of their descendants. God’s message to Abraham was: “Look […]

The Book of Revelation ends with a reminder that all humans will be held accountable for their actions. And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous […]

While studying the book of Revelation, I included the book titled God and the Problem of Evil in my reading materials. The book explored four perspectives that addressed a modern-day question: If God possesses unlimited power, wouldn’t He remove evil? And if He is truly good, wouldn’t He indeed do so? Before concluding my study […]

There is a dramatic contrast between the great whore and the bride of the Lamb that serves as a powerful metaphor for the unbridled passion of evil and the pure beauty descending from heaven. Within the vision of Revelation 17, we are introduced to the concept of the “great whore,” representing a dominant force exerting […]

Paul wrote that all of creation longs for the new heaven and new earth that God will bring about at the end. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the […]

Eschatology is the study of the end time. “Eschaton” is Greek and means “goal.” This passage is a vision of the goal of history. Evil finds its judgment and God holds all humans accountable for their behavior. Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the […]

I have been reading and using Robert Mounce’s classic commentary on Revelation for this study. If my blog articles were term papers, I’d cite Mounce frequently. Today’s blog article is a condensation of Mounce’s interpretation of Revelation 20. There are many different interpretations of this passage, but I find his to be understandable and reasonable. […]

Revelation is one of the most difficult books in the Bible for me to understand. Even though I am at a loss when it comes to interpreting many of the passages, the big-picture message is one I fully appreciate. Two major messages should be heard loud and clear by readers of Revelation. (1) From the […]

There has never been a wedding like the Lamb’s marriage supper. Neither has there ever been an invitation like the one John saw in his vision. Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, “Hallelujah!For […]

Revelation 19 contrasts the rejoicing of God’s faithful with that of the kings, merchants, economic empires, and transportation industries that mourn over the destruction of Babylon (Revelation 18). The fall of Rome which represents the world’s system that corrupts the earth began in 17.1. This is a fitting response to Rome’s fall. After this I […]

I was taken aback to learn that roses for the first-century Emperor Nero’s banquets cost nearly $100,000. Emperor Vitellius was able to spend $20,000,000 mostly on food during his brief one-year reign in 69 AD. With this kind of spending, it is no surprise that the people who profited from Rome’s excesses were grieved. And […]

An Internet search on the destructive nature of pride produces several quotes that are right on target. — “Pride is the first step towards self-destruction. It blinds the eyes, deafens the ears, and hardens the heart.” — “The destructive power of pride lies in its inability to accept flaws and learn from mistakes. It hinders […]

John made God’s view of the world’s system quite clear. He wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. “The love of the Father is not in those who love the world, for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in […]

We hear the expression, “smoke and mirrors” that emphasize situations where things are not as they initially appear, often involving deception, illusion, or manipulation. “Smoke and mirrors” may have its origin in magic shows, but it also applies to politicians and advertising campaigns. The war in Ukraine has introduced us to the concept of the […]

The Book of Revelation unveils hidden realities behind world events. In today’s study, the veil is pulled back to reveal the mystery of the woman and the beast. When I saw her, I was greatly amazed. But the angel said to me, “Why are you so amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the […]

Syncretism is not a term that is used frequently in everyday conversation, but unfortunately, it is something that happens all too frequently. The Internet defines syncretism as “the merging or blending of different beliefs, practices, or cultural elements, often resulting in a new, hybrid system. “It is a process in which distinct traditions, ideas, or […]

You would expect humans to heed the warning of God’s judgment and turn to God asking for mercy. Instead, we read that the inhabitants of earth curse God, refuse to repent, or give God the glory he is due (Revelation 16.9-11). In his commentary on Revelation, Robert Mounce explains that they have taken on the […]

Psalm 14 provides God’s perspective on people who believe that they will not be held accountable for their actions. They are “fools,” because they believe they will live free from accountability. Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”They are corrupt; they do abominable deeds;there is no one who does good. (Psalm 14.1) They […]

God personally gave Moses the Ten Commandments that my friend Rudy Ross calls the “constitution of God’s people.” God’s constitution with humans is divided into two sections. The first four illustrate how humans should love God with their heart, mind, and soul. The remaining six commandments outline how we can best love other people as […]

In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross explains that the various images of God’s judgment cover the same period leading up to the end. It is best to avoid trying to concoct a precise chronology of the end, but see these events as end-time truths that motivate us to faithful service of the Savoir. Preparation for […]

Daniel’s vision in Chapter 7 was like a Swiss Army Knife when it came to God’s plan for humans. It predicted the coming Messiah, highlighted the exaltation of Jesus, emphasized the everlasting nature of his dominion, and it foretold end-time events. If you mark your Bible, this passage should be marked, read, and re-read. As […]

It is reasonable to believe that thousands of Christians were martyred during the first two centuries of Christianity. Christians who lived during the reigns of Nero (54-68 AD), Domitian (81-96 AD), Trajan (98-117 AD), and Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD) experienced persecution that involved crucifixion and death in the Roman Colosseum. Early Christians found Jesus’ words […]

Here is a truth we never want to take for granted. We are quite aware of the love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ prayer to the Father, he revealed God’s awesome plan for humans. He wants to include us in the love that resides within the Trinity. Jesus prayed, “I made […]

For many years I have believed that we place too great of an emphasis on the mark of the beast and not enough emphasis on the seal of God on his faithful. John’s vision included both the mark of the beast and the seal of God. The angels were told to withhold judgment until God’s […]

John’s vision included two beasts. First-century readers understood the first beast to the power of Rome whose insistence on worshiping the emperor was a major threat to the church. The second beast (Revelation 13.11-18) was believed to be the imperial priesthood that promoted the worship of the emperor. The two beasts can be identified throughout […]

I had a course on the Book of Revelation while in seminary. My professor who wrote a commentary on Revelation told us that he had read over 30 books on the subject and none of them agreed on the interpretation. Just like my professor’s experience with books on Revelation, the same is true of the […]

The beast is first mentioned in Revelation 13. A Roman history lesson allows us insight into the experiences of the first-century church with the beast and the Roman Empire. Octavian ruled Rome from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He was proclaimed divine by the Roman Senate and given the name “Augustus.” The […]

The devil made his first appearance in the Bible when he tempted the couple with a deceptive question “Did God say?” (Genesis 3.1). This question is at the root of all human sin and rebellion against God. We refuse his guidance because we believe we know better than God how to conduct our lives. At […]

An excellent preacher once said, “I’m not worried about the things in the Bible I don’t understand. What bothers me are the things I understand and I’m not doing.” There are a few statements in today’s Bible passage that I don’t understand. I won’t attempt to comment on them. On the other hand, I will […]

An established principle of Biblical interpretation involves at a minimum two steps. (1) The interpreter must determine what the text meant to its first readers. (2) Once the first readers are taken into consideration, the application can be made to present-day readers. This principle is generally applied to the entire text of the Bible but […]

Amos makes a striking declaration about God’s willingness to reveal his plans. Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets (Amos 3.7). Both Daniel and Zechariah spoke of God’s plans that were further considered in Revelation. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will […]

The idea that” might makes right” is fundamentally flawed and has led to profound injustice and suffering. Still, many people and nations practice it and justify it with various arguments. For example, some believe that the strong have a natural right to dominate the weak because it’s part of the evolutionary process, and only the […]

According to Paul, the church is God’s temple. He wrote, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). A similar message was written in Ephesians 2:19-22. The persecution and suffering of the church that is part of the end-time prophecy also includes the preservation […]

Rick Warren’s two famous books ask Christians and churches to consider our purpose. Revelation 10 gives instructions to the church is the equivalent of Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life” message. The message is an interlude of encouragement and clarification of the mission between the seals (chapter 6), trumpets (chapters 8-9), and bowls (chapter 16). While we […]

When we study the Bible, we create a space for God to speak to us and introduce us to new thoughts that we may have never previously considered. Yesterday’s blog article did that for me. In the past, I viewed the demonic torments in Revelation as excessive punishment from God. Yesterday, I realized that God […]

Jews and Christians were the only people who believed in one God in the first century. One historian has remarked that there were more gods in the Roman Empire than could be counted. Like America has football and baseball stadiums that dot the landscape, pagan temples dominated the public space in the ancient world. The […]

As we read about the third and fourth trumpet judgments, the question is how can we relate them to the era in which we live? — Could God use climate change as his way of judging the earth? — Is God using human actions to precipitate these events? — Are there other places in the […]

The prophet Zephaniah wrote about the Day of the Lord with images that fit what we will read from Revelation in chapter 8. The great day of the Lord is near,near and hastening fast;the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;the warrior cries aloud there. That day will be a day of wrath,a […]

The scene changes from the 144,000 to a great multitude that stands before the throne and the Lamb. Instead of being sealed like the 144,000, they have come out of the great tribulation. The faithful of every age are present in the crowd and they stand before God in the righteousness of Christ. John describes […]

John’s vision continues with the introduction of the four angels and their work. After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on earth or sea or against any tree (Revelation 7.1). The angels control the […]

The Day of the Lord theme stretches from Isaiah to Acts and Revelation. You won’t see many greeting cards or Facebook memes about the Day of the Lord, but that doesn’t make it any less real. Isaiah contended with a nation where the majority chose self-sufficiency over dependency on God. Isaiah knew that the Day […]

When Jesus opened the first four seals on the scroll, four horses were released to bring the beginning of troubles to the earth. More trouble will come with the opening of the seals and other events that are recorded in Revelation. As we read about this, please remember that God uses whatever means are at […]

Rudy Ross rightly believes that God provides at least two witnesses to a truth he wants his people to receive. As we examine the judgments that are represented by the four horsemen, both Zechariah and Jesus witness to what John saw. Zechariah 1.8-17 and 6.1-8 give pictures of the four horsemen. In Luke 21, Mark […]

Revelation 4 and 5 describe worship given to God from the host of heaven. This glimpse of heavenly worship can be a model for our relationship with God today. Let’s learn more about heavenly worship to enliven our current relationship with the Lord. Worship with Your Body If you are physically able, you may want […]

As you read this, try to imagine what John experienced as he was granted insight into God’s throne room. He first witnessed the awe and respect that the host of heaven give to God. His next experience considered a scroll with seven seals that determined the destiny of the world. Then I saw in the […]

I asked the Artificial Intelligence program ChatGPT to ask probing questions about worship. Let’s look at a brief picture of heavenly worship and answer the questions that were provided. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, The […]

Humans are no strangers to threats to security and stability in 2023. Perspectives may differ, but the following are some of the most recognized challenges being faced today. — Climate change is a major threat to our planet and has already resulted in extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and widespread ecosystem damage. — Global […]

According to an Internet article, Laodicea was located in the Lycus River valley in modern-day Turkey and was an important center of commerce and culture during the Roman period. One of its most significant structures was an enormous theater, which could seat up to 20,000 people. Laodicea also had a large stadium, public baths, and […]

Philadelphia was located in modern-day Turkey and was known for its impressive public buildings, including a theater, a gymnasium, and a stadium. A temple dedicated to Artemis was a major feature of the city. Paul ended his letter to the Corinthians with this insight, “a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and […]