Blog articles

on bible prophecy
The Red Heifers, the Third Temple, and the Rapture

The Red Heifers, the Third Temple, and the Rapture

In recent months, there has been a lot of talk about some red heifers that are being raised in Israel. The reason they have generated a lot of interest is because one of the last obstacles to rebuilding a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount is a need for the ashes of a...

The Biblical Case for the Pretribulational Rapture

The Biblical Case for the Pretribulational Rapture

In Revelation 3:10, God promised the church in Philadelphia, “I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” While the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 were historical churches in Asia Minor,...

Forever Faithful

Forever Faithful

O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are,O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? (Psalm 89:8).God always does what He says He will do. He is forever faithful, never forgetting a promise. The hundreds of prophecies in Scripture that have been fulfilled...

How Bible Prophecy Can Inspire Our Worship of God

How Bible Prophecy Can Inspire Our Worship of God

Rarely do Christians think about Bible prophecy in connection with worshipping God. The tendency is to view prophecies as mysteries to be solved, or promises about the end times that aren’t relevant to us today. Those misperceptions are unfortunate, because...

The Gospel Information Superhighway

The Gospel Information Superhighway

Have you ever considered the significance of the timing of Christ’s first coming? Why did Jesus come 2,000 years ago? Why not 3,000 or even 5,000 years ago? I believe much of the answer lies in the revolutionary new communications technology that came about in His...

The Mark of the Beast

The Mark of the Beast

In Revelation 13, we read that the antichrist and the false prophet—a diabolical duo—will subjugate the entire world so that no one can buy or sell who does not receive the mark of the beast.[The false prophet] causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor,...

The Two-Prophetic Witnesses

The Two-Prophetic Witnesses

God will raise up two mighty prophetic witnesses during the tribulation period. They will testify of the true God with incredible power—much like the power of Elijah (1 Kings 17; Malachi 4:5) and Moses (Exodus 7–11). Two witnesses are important. The Old Testament...

A Matter of Timing: Pre-Trib Rapture

A Matter of Timing: Pre-Trib Rapture

Some argue against the pre‑trib view, saying that it is a more recent doctrine. All the church fathers held to something different, they claim. But that is not true. There were many early church writers who held to an imminent, at‑any‑moment rapture. In AD 373,...

Fear, Fake News, and Faith

Fear, Fake News, and Faith

God wrote Revelation because he wants us to know about that finale, and to respond to it (Revelation 1:3). He wants us to be aware of coming world events and to spot the signs leading up to the end times. He wants us to enjoy a sneak preview of our future home in...

When Will Ezekiel 38 Happen?

When Will Ezekiel 38 Happen?

Prophecy teachers vary on where they place the Ezekiel 38 war in relation to the rapture, but all agree it is an end-times war, as specifically stated in the text (verses 8, 14). It will take place after the land has been desolate for a long time, the people are back...

Iceberg Warnings of Bible Prophecy

Iceberg Warnings of Bible Prophecy

A few years ago, while on a speaking trip to a small English town, I had the privilege of having lunch with a group of retired gentlemen and ladies. After being seated beside one of the women, we struck up a conversation, and I soon discovered it was her birthday....

The Final Prediction

The Final Prediction

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen (Revelation 22:20-21).It is the Lord Jesus Himself who “testifies” (Greek, marturon) to the book of Revelation and the writings of...

Why Does It Matter If the Dead Rise?

Why Does It Matter If the Dead Rise?

As sinful human beings, we are linked to Adam. We inherited Adam’s sin nature and the wages of sin that go with it called death. As in Adam all die. But in Christ, the second Adam, all are made alive. As Paul reminds us, “The first Adam became a living being; the last...

The Critical Link: Origins and Last Things

The Critical Link: Origins and Last Things

The study of first things is of utmost importance in Scripture. Much like the opening pages of a novel or the first few minutes of a good film, fundamental information is contained in the inceptive section of any great work. This is definitely true about the first...

Guidelines for Interpreting Bible Prophecy

Guidelines for Interpreting Bible Prophecy

Some people claim Bible prophecy should be interpreted allegorically. The allegorical method of interpretation seeks to uncover figurative or secondary meanings of Bible verses. I once encountered a person who assured me that the “second coming” occurs whenever a...

Why the Rapture Is Our Blessed Hope

Why the Rapture Is Our Blessed Hope

Have you ever thought about the many ways that the rapture is “our blessed hope,” as stated in Titus 2:13? In context, here is what Paul wrote: “The grace of God has appeared to all people, training us…to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present...

The Christmas Conundrum and the Foreknowledge of Jesus

The Christmas Conundrum and the Foreknowledge of Jesus

Isaiah 9:6 is quoted frequently at Christmastime. You may have seen the passage on Christmas cards, oftentimes along with a manger scene. The well-known (but usually not fully understood) verse reads,To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will...

A Baby Like No Other

A Baby Like No Other

When the angels announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds that night long ago in Bethlehem, they revealed that this baby was like no other. When they spoke about this newborn child, they used three titles that are rich in meaning. These titles told the shepherds a very...

Daniel’s Prophetic Timeline

Daniel’s Prophetic Timeline

Daniel is one of the most important books of the Bible with regard to the chronology of future events because it provides a great amount of key information about the players and time sequences of end-time prophecy. Daniel introduced much of what the New Testament book...

Why Was Hell Created?

Why Was Hell Created?

Did you know that hell was created for a specific purpose? That purpose is found in Matthew 25:41: “Then [Jesus] will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ ” This statement...

The First Promise of the Rapture

The First Promise of the Rapture

Do you know when the worldwide rapture of believers is first mentioned in the Bible? What’s remarkable about this first promise of the rapture is that it came at a very traumatic time for those who originally heard these words. After the crucifixion, the disciples...

What Will Happen to Children at the Rapture?

What Will Happen to Children at the Rapture?

This is a commonly asked question and a very sensitive topic. To cover what will happen to children at the rapture well, we need to take in a helicopter view as well as dive into the specifics. To start, there aren’t any specific Bible verses that answer the question....

God’s Judgments in History and Prophecy

God’s Judgments in History and Prophecy

In spite of popular belief to the contrary, God will judge His creation because He is a righteous and just God. In fact, God has already exercised judgment many times in the past, even though some do not recognize these events (2 Peter 3:1-13). The chart below shows...

The Paranormal Becomes the New Normal

The Paranormal Becomes the New Normal

Today we live in a time when—as believers—our faith has not yet become sight. We believe the miraculous events surrounding creation, the exodus, and those related to Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection. What we forget is that in between those shorter seasons during...

Why Christ Rebukes the First-Century Church

Why Christ Rebukes the First-Century Church

Jesus called them out, but for what reasons?   1. She grew apathetic toward Him (Revelation 2:4). Jesus says to His bride, “You have left your first love.” Over time, she grew less and less enamored with her bridegroom. The honeymoon was over. The newness had worn...

Occupy Until Jesus Returns

Occupy Until Jesus Returns

In the parable of the minas in Luke 19:11-27, Jesus “spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately” (v. 11). In the story, a leader called ten of his servants and gave each of them ten minas....

Mystery Man

Mystery Man

The first 13 letters that follow the book of Acts were all written by Paul. They are as follows: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. These...

Responding as Christ Did to Persecution

Responding as Christ Did to Persecution

If you know what it’s like to be despised or rejected as a Christian, you’ve received a very small taste of what Christ faced from His enemies. Jesus prophesied this would happen—He said in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation.” It’s never easy to be on...

Setting Your sights on heaven

Setting Your sights on heaven

The older I get, the more important I think it is to ponder heaven because life on earth is so short. It seems like I blink three times, and three decades have passed. Where do the years go?

Where the dead are now

Where the dead are now

The 39 books of the Old Testament refer to the world of the dead 65 times as Sheol. The word may be translated as “the grave,” “hell,” or “death.” Sheol must not be confused with “the pit” or “the lake of fire,” for Sheol is the place of all those who have departed...

In God we trust?

In God we trust?

What citizens must sometimes do for civic or political reasons, Christians must sometimes do for spiritual or moral reasons. For both, defiance may be a necessary option. Though we in America have never suffered under regimes like Nero’s or Nazi Germany’s, and...

Revealing Revelation: The Long Letter

Revealing Revelation: The Long Letter

In our age of technology, we no longer make a habit of sending letters to one another. Instead, we use email, texts, and social media. For me, my use of social media allows me to reach hundreds of thousands of people in real time with updates about events that are...

Answers to Questions About the Millennial Kingdom

Answers to Questions About the Millennial Kingdom

Q: Doesn’t 2 Peter 3:10 teach that there won’t be a Tribulation or Millennial Kingdom? Context is key! Peter is not laying out the various details of the Day of the Lord but the ultimate result of it. In the OT the Day of the Lord is sometimes referring specifically...

The Special Ops Rapture Rescue

The Special Ops Rapture Rescue

In 1 Thessalonians 4, we find the premiere section of Scripture regarding the future rapture of the church. The Greek word translated “rapture” is harpazo. This is the word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which reads, “After that, we who are still alive and are left...

The Rapture and the Ten Virgins

The Rapture and the Ten Virgins

A friend of mine has a coffee mug that reads, “I can do all things through a verse taken out of context.” As Christians, sometimes in our eagerness to apply Scripture to our lives, we skip over the part where we discover what the verse or passage actually means. And...

If you are reading this letter…I am gone!

If you are reading this letter…I am gone!

Dear Sandra, It breaks my heart that you would have to read this letter because it means that you have been left behind and that I am gone. I have no doubt that the world must be in a state of confusion and panic, and yet hope still exists. I wonder if you remember...

How far along is the great reset?

How far along is the great reset?

The World Economic Forum is one of the most outspoken advocates of changing the way our world is governed. This group is made up of exceptionally elite business executives, politicians, academics, cultural experts, media personalities, and celebrities who come from a...

The Last Hour

The Last Hour

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the apostle John said, “Little children, it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18). If John was in the last hour at the time he wrote those words, then surely we are now in the last milliseconds before the return of Jesus. No one knows how long...

Satan’s Seal

Satan’s Seal

On the heels of his ascent to global godlike status, Antichrist, with the aid of the false prophet, will implement the full measure of his religious and economic doctrine as the two merge into one. Here is how Scripture describes it. First, mandatory worship of...

Is the Rapture Really Taught in the Bible?

Is the Rapture Really Taught in the Bible?

I have noticed a disturbing trend the past several years. The core belief in the inerrancy of Scripture seems to be eroding in certain evangelical circles—and with it, key doctrines long held by the church. Among those under attack is the rapture. I do believe in the...

How Much Should We Care About Christ’s Second Coming?

How Much Should We Care About Christ’s Second Coming?

When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion, the crowds shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9). For Jesus to be called “the Son...

Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in the Life of Christ

Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in the Life of Christ

The Old Testament is filled with prophecies about the human race, the nation of Israel, and future events in general. But the most important prophecies are those that point to the coming of Christ. These are not merely isolated “proof texts.” The whole of the Old...

Who Are the 144,000 in Revelation 7:14?

Who Are the 144,000 in Revelation 7:14?

In Revelation 7:14, the apostle John writes, “I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” (NIV). Who are these 144,000? Some Christians have taken this as metaphorically referring to the church. However, the context indicates...

Interview with Prophecy Author Donna VanLiere

Interview with Prophecy Author Donna VanLiere

The Time of Jacob’s TroubleThe Day of Ezekiel’s HopeDaniel’s Final Week Harvest House Publishers: You’re known for the beloved New York Times bestsellers The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Blessing. What inspired you to write novels on the theme of Bible prophecy?...

Grounding the Rapture?

Grounding the Rapture?

Jesus Christ is coming back.             For most Christians, there is no question or controversy concerning this. The real question is, How and when? Among respected theologians and Bible scholars, there’s a divergence of opinion about His return, especially as it...

Watching Bible Prophecy Unfold Today

Watching Bible Prophecy Unfold Today

A careful study of Scripture reveals that all the prophecies that are supposed to be fulfilled before the rapture have come to pass. That means the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture, which will occur before the tribulation.[1] So from a...

Agreeing to Disagree in an Agreeable Way

Agreeing to Disagree in an Agreeable Way

“I’m okay; you’re a heretic.” That sounds like the title of a humor book. In reality, these words reflect how some Christians treat other Christians who hold to a different view of Bible prophecy. A popular Christian radio personality recently charged that...

God’s Prophetic Pattern

God’s Prophetic Pattern

One of the greatest “in-house” debates among believers is the timing of the rapture. Simply put, there are three primary positions: pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib. The first meaning that the rapture will occur before (pre) the seven-year tribulation period. The...

What Will Happen This Upcoming Year?

What Will Happen This Upcoming Year?

Every time a new year approaches, the supermarket tabloids are filled with headlines that proclaim what “experts” predict will happen over the next 12 months. Almost always, these guesses are wrong. The few times that they are correct or appear to be such, it’s...

Christmas: A Celebration of Bible Prophecy

Christmas: A Celebration of Bible Prophecy

When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating God’s perfect track record of fulfilling every single Bible prophecy pointing to Jesus’ first advent. In the Old Testament, there are more than 100 prophecies related to Christ’s first coming. They reveal specific clues...

The three views of the Millenium

The three views of the Millenium

Soon after becoming a Christian, I stumbled across a couple of radio preachers who seemed like they knew their stuff, so I trusted what they said about the end times, not knowing there were other points of view to consider. My preconceived notion about the Lord’s...

A door of biblical discernment

A door of biblical discernment

As we continue to witness stage-setting prophecies developing before our eyes, we must also develop the ability to “understand the times, with knowledge of what [we] should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). It was this very ability to understand and navigate life that...

The phases of the second coming

The phases of the second coming

Much confusion exists among Bible readers regarding the second coming of Christ. Of central importance is whether Jesus will return once or twice. There are clearly two phases to the second coming, no matter what one’s view is of the timing between them. Jesus is...

Christians Will Be Saved from the Wrath

Christians Will Be Saved from the Wrath

Not only will “the year of the lord’s favor” (Isaiah 61:2 NIV), or the church age, come to a distinct end, to be followed by the “day of God’s wrath” (the unfulfilled period of seven years), but God has given His church ample evidence in Scripture that it will not go...

How Should We Pray in These Last Days?

How Should We Pray in These Last Days?

Martin Luther, one of the most influential figures in the Protestant Reformation, had the right perspective about prayer when he wrote, “Prayer is the mightiest of all weapons that created natures can wield.”             As we draw closer to earth’s final days and...

Persecution

Persecution

Persecution, in varying degrees and forms, is coming. If it doesn’t, then Jesus and Paul were wrong. The question is not whether it’s coming, but rather how we will respond to it when it does. Some will undoubtedly give in and compromise, and in the process, deny...

Spiritual Warfare and End-Time Prophecy Collide

Spiritual Warfare and End-Time Prophecy Collide

The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. —Romans 13:11-12...

Keeping God at the Center of Bible Prophecy

Keeping God at the Center of Bible Prophecy

When it comes to studying Bible prophecy, it is easy to get buried in the details about what will happen in the future—to the point that we fail to focus on who Bible prophecy is all about: God. Yes, it’s natural to want to understand what will happen and when. In...

A Preview of what is to come

A Preview of what is to come

The more I study the book of Revelation, the more I love it. It’s like the movie Back to the Future. When we read it, we go back in time to a moment when God Himself revealed to us the future He has established for this world. What we read is not what might happen or...

Anchored to the Rock

Anchored to the Rock

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the...

What’s “Prophetic Peace”?

What’s “Prophetic Peace”?

For well over a year now, our world has been quarantined in a constant state of crisis and uncertainty. Billions are asking, “What’s next? What new thing will once again disrupt our lives, sending us into yet another season of confusion and chaos?” It’s as if the...

Eight Ways We Benefit from Bible Prophecy

Eight Ways We Benefit from Bible Prophecy

The Bible says all Scripture is useful for instruction and for equipping believers for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That includes Bible prophecy, which is often overlooked as an essential part of every believer’s spiritual knowledge and growth. Nearly 28...