THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY AGES OF TIME Part I AN IMPORTANT BIBLICAL PHRASE in Bible prophecy is “the age to come.” A understanding of a related term, “the present age,” is also necessary for properly interpreting biblical prophecy. “The present age” refers to the current church age that began almost 2000 years ago […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY ESCHATOLOGY OF ACTS Part IIITHE RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT OF ALL PEOPLEIn his address at Athens, Paul announced that the God who is creator of all is also judge of all.He has even fixed the day and appointed the Judge (Acts 17:30-32). The resurrection of this Judge, Jesus Christ, provides […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY ESCHATOLOGY OF ACTS Part IIAMOS’ KINGDOM PROPHECY AND THE EARLY CHURCHAt the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15, James, the pastor at Jerusalem, quotes the Old Testament prophet Amos (9:11-12) to show that the salvation of many Gentiles during the days of the early church should not be surprising because […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY ESCHATOLOGY OF ACTS Part IWHEN WILL GOD’S KINGDOM COME?The book of Acts is a pivotal book in the New Testament. It records the transition from the Old Testament and the Gospels to the epistles, from a focus on Israel as God’s chosen nation to the church—people whom God has […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY ABRAHAMIC COVENANT Part IIIThe New CovenantThe next unconditional covenant between God and Israel is the New Covenant. The covenant is new because it replaced the Old or Mosaic Covenant. Israel was unable to keep the Mosaic covenant, so God graciously promised to give them a new covenant as well […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECYABRAHAMIC COVENANT Part IITHE EXPANSION OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANTJohn F. Walvoord (pp. 44–45) summarizes the foundational importance of the Abrahamic covenant in the study of Bible prophecy. He states: “The Abrahamic covenant contributes to the eschatology of Israel by detailing the broad program of God as it affects Abraham’s seed.…It […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECYABRAHAMIC COVENANT Part IThe fountainhead of Bible prophecy begins with the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1- 3,7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-21; 22:15-18). This agreement is the “mother of all redemptive covenants,” and God’s blessings springing forth from it extend to all mankind throughout the ages.AN UNCONDITIONAL COVENANTThe Abrahamic covenant is an unconditional […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY ABOMINATION OF THE ANTICHRISTPaul introduces the desecration of the Temple in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 by saying that the man of lawlessness “exalts himself.” He elevates himself “over every so-called god or object of worship.” While this might indicate a superlative blasphemy of God such as in Revelation 13:6, the […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY The Abomination Of Desolation Part 2HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDDuring the construction of the Second Temple, a host of actual and would-be desecrators of the Temple invaded Jerusalem. However, Daniel appears to be predicting the invasion of the Syrian–Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 b.c.), who erected an idol in the Temple […]
THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY The Abomination Of Desolation Part 1The phrases abomination of desolation, desolating abomination, and abomination that makes desolate refer to violations of the ritual purity of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. They translate the Hebrew term shiqqutz(im) meshomem and the Greek term bdelugma tes eremoseos, and they appear in prophecies […]