Bible Prophecy Daily

Michael Ufferman from Zion's Hope continues his "Twins of a Different Covenant" study, now delving into the second twin, the Book of Jude. In this session, Michael identifies the audience to whom Jude is addressing.

In the first twin, the Book of Malachi, God warned the priesthood to adhere to biblical righteousness so they could stand when the Lord appeared at His First Coming. When Christ visited the Temple and assessed the righteousness of the Priesthood, He found it severely lacking; to the extent that those who should have recognized their Messiah actually crucified Him.

Malachi serves as the final book in the Old Testament before Christ's First Coming. God deemed it necessary to provide a book with exhortations to the priesthood prior to His First Coming.

Does God follow a similar pattern in the New Testament? Does He provide a book with exhortations to the priesthood before His Second Coming? Indeed, God has done just that in the second twin, the Book of Jude, our last Scripture text before the Book of Revelation, which details the events surrounding Christ's Second Coming.

You're invited to enjoy this third installment of a 4-part series!

Dr. Alan Kurschner, in his last episode, gave the context to the unfolding of the seals, trumpets, and bowls.

In today's episode, Dr. Kurschner outlines 10 reasons against the concurrent-recapitulatory interpretation of the book of Revelation while arguing for the consecutive-progressive framework.
Seals, Trumpets, Bowls – At the Same Time or One After the Other?
Consecutive-Progressive
The prewrath position interprets a sequential chronological framework for the seals, trumpets, and bowls. That is, the seal-trumpet-bowl septets (sets of seven) will happen in a consecutive-progressive fashion, with each septet consecutively following each other. For example, the trumpet septet cannot begin until the seventh seal is opened; and the bowl septet cannot begin before the seventh trumpet is blown. The last judgment element of the day of the Lord’s wrath will be the seventh bowl. Accordingly, the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet serve as transitions to the next set of God’s climaxing judgments, culminating with the seventh bowl.



Concurrent-Recapitulation
Posttribulationists subscribe instead to a concurrent-recapitulation framework with the septets occurring at the same time with the judgment elements giving different emphases or perspectives. For example, it is said that the sixth seal, sixth trumpet, and sixth bowl describe the same event from a different angle. Accordingly, the last element in the day of the Lord’s wrath describes the seventh of each septet; thus, the seventh seal, seventh trumpet, and seventh bowl are the same event from different perspectives. And there are those posttribulationists who hold that it does not describe the exact same event, but they affirm that the three elements occur roughly at the same time. For all practical purposes, the main point is that both of these posttrib interpretations do not view the trumpets and bowls occurring after the seventh seal is opened.



It is noted that this debate does not hinge on whether each judgment element within the septets succeed each other; that is not the issue. The main question is: Do each of the three septets themselves succeed each other (consecutive) or do they simultaneously unfold (concurrent)?

Dr. Kurschner's aim is to demonstrate that the concurrent view is flawed. He argues for the consecutive nature of the three septets, showing that the seventh seal does not depict the culmination but the introduction to the day of the Lord via the seven trumpets and culminating in the seven bowls.
Why Recapitulation?
There are two main observations from the book of Revelation that lead posttribulationists to conclude the concurrent-recapitulation theory is correct. First, they will point out that the septets possess a similar structure, thinking these depict the same events with different emphases. They draw attention to at least two observations: (1) the first four elements of each septet share a structured unit, and (2) the first two septets, the seals and trumpets, each contain a parenthetical section between the sixth and seventh element.

However, this is a non sequitur (no pun intended) to reason that because they share similar forms, therefore they must possess the same content and occur at the same time. It is a fallacy to equate similarity with identity.

The second observation is where their theory either falls or stands. They will point out similarities between the sixth and seventh element of each septet, along with their parenthetical sections, concluding all three describe the end. They argue that since there cannot be “three ultimate ends,” it follows that they recapitulate the trumpet and bowls back into the seals giving a composite of a single event (see the chart above). Marko Jauhiainen pinpoints their key argument for the recapitulation theory. He writes,

Marquis Laughlin examines Revelation Chapter 8 as he continues with his Director’s Commentary on the Book of Revelation.

Discover why this is the key moment in the book of Revelation, as the final seal is broken on the scroll and God’s wrath begins. The timing, nature, and length of God’s wrath is discussed along with its effect on the books key characters.

Ron Wallace teaches about the "abyss" of Revelation 17:8 and the "pit of the abyss" of Revelation 9:1, and shows us that they are different.

Basically, the term "abyss" is sometimes used in general as a synonym for "hades". However, the "pit of the abyss" is located IN the abyss itself; that is, in hades, but is distinguished from the abyss by using the word "pit".

Join Ron in this episode for an interesting discussion.

 

Nelson Walters joins us again, this time with Part 2 of his explanation why the Apostle John cried like a baby when it seemed like no one in heaven could open the 7-sealed scroll. (Did you miss Part 1? Listen to it here.)

John's weeping shows that he understood what the scroll was and why it was important. And because he never identified it, it also shows that he assumed his readers would know what a 7-sealed scroll was as well.

In this Part 2 episode, Nelson continues his identification of the scroll's purpose and links the passages in Revelation with their parallel passages in the Book of Daniel.

Nelson Walters decodes the Revelation’s 7-Sealed Scroll for Rapture timing. The Apostle John who wrote Revelation gave us a timepiece for what God is doing in the end times – the 7-Sealed Scroll.

In this episode, Nelson identifies the scroll as Jesus’s Last Will and Testament as found in Heb 9:15-17, and how this effects the timing of the Rapture and the Wrath of God.

Dr. Alan Kurschner announced an upcoming Bible prophecy seminar coming up on June 1st. Here is the info and registration page:

https://www.alankurschner.com/2024/03/30/registration-page-wisconsin-bible-prophecy-seminary-june-1-2024/



 
 
 

Dr. Alan Kurschner rebroadcasted an interview he gave with an Independent Fundamental Baptist Pastor. Talked about many Bible prophecy topics!
"This a podcast dedicated to the subject of Bible Prophecy. This is a podcast made by Pastor Tommy McMurtry of the Liberty Baptist Church in Rock Falls, IL. Pastor Tommy loves the subject of prophecy and loves having public discussions with others on this subject whether they agree with him or not. Without a doubt you will learn more about the Bible and the subject of prophecy from listening to this podcast."
For more information about Pastor Tommy and the Liberty Baptist Church go to www.givemelibertybaptist.com
Here is the original video interview.

Chris White concludes his eleven-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week of Daniel.

This final episode in the series considers the Battle of Armageddon, centered on two questions:

When does this battle take place?
Where is Armageddon?

Chris begins with Daniel 12:11 and discusses the timing of the 70th week as a whole, and how the final battle fits right into the timing of Revelation 12.

Nelson Walters explains why the Apostle John cried like a baby when it seemed like no one in heaven could open the 7-sealed scroll.

This shows John understood what the scroll was and why it was important. And because he never identified it, it shows he assumed his readers would know what a 7-sealed scroll was as well.

In this episode, part one of a two part episode, Nelson identifies the purpose of the scroll and links the passages in Revelation with their parallel passages in the Book of Daniel.

Dr. Alan Kurschner gave some context to one of the most common interpretations of the posttribulation view, where the seals, trumpets, and bowls occur roughly at the same time. Indeed, many posttribs believe the corresponding elements are the same events; i.e., the seventh trumpet is the seventh bowl.

The posttribulation interpretation necessarily forces a framework upon the book of Revelation because of a deep-seated presupposition that they hold.

The presupposition is that the depiction of the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19, with Christ appearing in the sky with his heavenly armies, indicates the beginning of his parousia.

Yet, many posttribs recognize this causes a discrepancy because the book of Revelation shows the day of the Lord's wrath unfolding before the battle of Armageddon during the trumpet and bowl judgments. In other words, how can the parousia begin at the battle of Armageddon but at the same time affirm that his judgment does not begin before his parousia?

They also recognize the discrepancy of affirming that God's people have been resurrected between the sixth and the seventh seal in Revelation 7 and, at the same time, claiming that the resurrection occurs in association with the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19 that they say initiates the parousia. How, then, do they attempt to reconcile these problems?

Enter the concurrent-recapitulation interpretation of posttribulationism.

Since this issue is important and a very common point of disagreement between prewrath and posttrib, Dr. Kurschner argues that the concurrent-recapitulation interpretation is not only implausible but contradictory. In addition, he shows that the consecutive-progressive framework is the most natural, intended interpretation to the relationship of the seals, trumpets, and bowls.
Seals, Trumpets, Bowls – At the Same Time or One After the Other?
Consecutive-Progressive
The prewrath position interprets a sequential chronological framework for the seals, trumpets, and bowls. That is, the seal-trumpet-bowl septets (sets of seven) will happen in a consecutive-progressive fashion, with each septet consecutively following each other. For example, the trumpet septet cannot begin until the seventh seal is opened; and the bowl septet cannot begin before the seventh trumpet is blown. The last judgment element of the day of the Lord’s wrath will be the seventh bowl. Accordingly, the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet serve as transitions to the next set of God’s climaxing judgments, culminating with the seventh bowl.



Concurrent-Recapitulation
Posttribulationists subscribe instead to a concurrent-recapitulation framework with the septets occurring at the same time with the judgment elements giving different emphases or perspectives. For example, it is said that the sixth seal, sixth trumpet, and sixth bowl describe the same event from a different angle. Accordingly, the last element in the day of the Lord’s wrath describes the seventh of each septet; thus, the seventh seal, seventh trumpet, and seventh bowl are the same event from different perspectives. And there are those posttribulationists who hold that it does not describe the exact same event, but they affirm that the three elements occur roughly at the same time. For all practical purposes, the main point is that both of these posttrib interpretations do not view the trumpets and bowls occurring after the seventh seal is opened.



It is noted that this debate does not hinge on whether each judgment element within the septets succeed each other; that is not the issue. The main question is: Do each of the three septets themselves succeed each other (consecutive) or do they simultaneously unfold (concurrent)?

Dr. Kurschner's aim is to demonstrate that the concurrent view is flawed.

Dr. Michael Weis, expanding on his article in the January/February 2024 edition of Zion's Fire magazine, explores a basic, and frequently asked question, "Why Study the End Times?" Dr. Weis explains why many Christians don't study the End Times, shares several reasons why we should, and offers help on how to respond to those who don't.

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week of Daniel. This next-to-last installment in Chris' series focuses on three events surrounding the Rapture:

"The Celestial Disturbance"
"The Rapture"
"The Day of the Lord"

This special 2-hour presentation is from the audio portion of the film produced by Chris titled, "Seven Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture".

If you would like to  purchase a DVD copy of the presentation, along with other Prewrath study materials, you can do so by clicking here and ordering from Eschatos Ministries.

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week of Daniel.

This episode focuses on the apostasy as it occurs just after the Abomination of Desolation at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week, and as it is associated with the Antichrist's revelation.

Chris discusses three main passages that specifically reference this end-times apostasy: Matthew 24:9-13, 1 Timothy 4:1-5 and 2 Thessalonisas 2:2-4.

Ron Wallace presents a Scriptural identification of the woman of Revelation 12.

The vision of Revelation 12 shows both the history and the future of ethnic Israel: the Jewish people.  In the process this study, Ron will also provide a commentary on the entire chapter.

David Rosenthal, president of Zion's Hope, joins us today to talk about some geopolitical things taking place in the Middle East, and the implications in Bible prophecy. God's people should have a good sense of what is happening relative to:

The deadly attack upon Israel by Hamas
The Red Heifer
The Temple Mount
The president of Turkey ’s aspirations to rule the Middle East
Re-establishing the Islamic caliphate
Natural gas discovered in Israel and Egypt
Saudi Arabia fearful of Iran’s potential of developing nuclear weapons.

These are not isolated events. Join David in his brief audio message, “Red Heifers and the Fight for Al-Aqsa”, as he explains how each of these events is intertwined, holding serious ramifications for the Last Days.

Marquis Laughlin continues his Director’s Commentary on the Book of Revelation, and in today's eposide examines chapter 7 of Revelation.

He shows how the timing of the rapture and the sequence of events leading up to it have been repeated several times throughout Scripture. He also shares evidence for the precise timing and nature of God’s wrath, and the premise that the book of Revelation is primarily about the 70th week of Daniel.

Chris White begins our week continuing his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week, and today focuses on the Mark of the Beast in Revelation 13.

Now at the midpoint of the timeline, we arrive at the moment when the Antichrist demands that the world worship him. It in this context we find the infamous "mark of the Beast", forcibly imposed upon people, globally, by the false prophet.

Chris takes us point-by-point through the text, being careful to separate contextual biblical exposition from speculation.

Nelson Walters concludes our week with a very interesting episode concerning a prophecy that is easily missed: a prophecy that involves the magicians who opposed Moses in the court of Pharoah.

Listen to Bible teacher Nelson Walters as he presents a text from 2 Timothy 3 that describes not only a great end-time confrontation that's going to take place,  but also the historical context of Exodus that reveals a spiritual battle that is relevant to our time and the approaching day of Christ's second coming.

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week.

This episode focuses on three points on Daniel's 70th week timeline: the Abomination of Desolation, Antichrist Worship and the Great Tribulation. Beyond the timing of the events themselves, Chris offers an interpreation of what's happening at and with those events.

This is a highly informative installment that clearly synthesizes Old Testament prophecy with Christ's teaching, and reinforces the premillenial & prewrath view.

Jake McCandless recently returned from a trip to Israel with the ministry Generation 2 Generation. The trip was to show solidarity with Israel and to learn first-hand what happened in the 10/7 attacks. He was able to tour locations that were attacked and speak with a long list of people on the ground ranging from survivors to IDF officials. Jake gained incredible insight while on the ground with 360-degree views of the attacks which which he is sharing here, over a series of episodes.

In previous episodes, Jake has talked about what he learned about the attacks and the current conflict. In this episode, he will begin a multi-part installment on the fulfillment of Bible prophecy he felt was being fulfilled before his eyes. This first prophecy discussed does not have to be seen on the ground in Israel, for it is currently in the news and that is the start of the sacrifices and the building of a new Temple. To make sure we accurately understand what is actually prophesied in the Word, Jake begins this Part 1 by discussing the prophecies surrounding resumption of the sacrifices and a new Temple.  You can also learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.

Marquis Laughlin continues his Director's Commentary on the Book of Revelation, now explaining how Daniel, Matthew and Revelation describe the same “time of the end” sequence of events. These inspired books of God's Word give us "multiple camera angles" and significant details about the final seven years prior to Christ’s return.

Ron Wallace kicks off our April epsiodes teaching from Malachi 3:1. The prophecy about a future coming of Elijah has a dual focus: it looks to both the first coming of the Messiah and His second coming.

At both advents, Elijah will have a special ministry to woo the Jewish people back to a covenant relationship with God. The leaders and the people need to change their mind about their current belief system that revolves around Mosaic legalism. They need to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah and trust in Him as the Savior of the world.

Dr. Alan Kurschner explicated here in Part 2 the lines of evidence that Colin R. Nicholl adduces that supports the "Restrainer" being Michael the archangel.

1. Contemporary Jewish literature viewed the characteristics of Michael having eschatological pre-eminence as the chief opponent of Satan and Restrainer of God’s people.

2. Michael is viewed as a celestial restrainer of God’s people in Daniel 10–12, the passage serving as the source for Paul’s exposition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8.

3. Daniel’s use of the Hebrew term ʿmd comports with the activity of the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

4. The Greek term parerchomai in Daniel 12:1 of the Septuagint (LXX) means, “to pass by,” which corresponds with the ceasing of restraint in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

5. Early Rabbinic interpretation of Daniel 12:1 perceived Michael as “passing aside” or “withdrawing” just after Antichrist’s establishment near or at the temple mount (Dan 11:45), just before the eschatological unequaled tribulation against God’s people (Dan 12:1).

6. Revelation 12:7–17 supports viewing Michael as the Restrainer because it links the cessation of Michael’s war against the dragon with the unprecedented persecution of God’s people, which is consistent with 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 and Daniel 11:45–12:1.

Given this evidence, the only candidate who can explain the Restrainer being removed is Michael. Other proposals for the Restrainer are hard-pressed to comport with those roles. Thus, this is a strong case that the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 refers to Michael the archangel as the Restrainer, whose ministry ceases and causes the eschatological temple to be desolated by Antichrist, ensued by his great tribulation against God’s people.

At the conclusion of the program, Dr. Kurschner explained Colin Nicholl's understanding of the masculine and the neuter in reference to Michael, where in verse 6, it is in the neuter gender to katechon (“what holds him back”), and in verse 7, it is in the masculine gender ho katechōn (“the one who holds him back”). Nicholl believes the best explanation is recognizing the Greek can use the neuter gender to refer to a person while the emphasis is on an exceptional quality of the individual (e.g., 1 Cor 11:5; 1 Cor 1:27–28; Gal 3:22; John 3:6; 17:24; 1 John 5:1–4; Matt 12:6). Thus, the neuter in verse 6 refers to Michael with a focus on his restraining ministry, while the masculine in verse 7 refers to Michael himself.

Bibliography:

In the April 2000 volume of The Journal of Theological Studies, Colin R. Nicholl published the seminal article, “Michael, The Restrainer Removed (2 Thess. 2:6-7),” arguing strongly that Michael is the Restrainer. After his journal article was published Nicholl published it as an appendix in his important monograph (which was his dissertation) From Hope to Despair in Thessalonica: Situating 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

 

 

 

Dr. Alan Kurschner explained the context of the Restrainer question.

Who is the "Restrainer"? This question stems from Paul's text in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.  "And so you know what holds him back, so that he will be revealed in his own time.  For the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work. However, the one who holds him back will do so until he is taken out of the way."

Dr. Kurschner is from the persuasion that the identity of the Restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 is the Archangel Michael. There are several compelling lines of evidence to conclude this, and the value of this conclusion is its consistency to the overall prewrath position, even though it is not an essential tenet to the prewrath view. From a negative point of view, it undermines the pretribulational interpretation that the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit.

The Michael interpretation is not new since there have been about a dozen theologians and scholars over the last hundred years who have taken this position. Even Robert Van Kampen, a pioneer of the pewrath position, held to this view.

But it was not until the year 2000 that a young Thessalonian scholar by the name of Colin R. Nicholl came along that would, for many scholars, put the nail in the coffin of the Restrainer debate.

In the April 2000 volume of The Journal of Theological Studies, Colin R. Nicholl published the seminal article, “Michael, The Restrainer Removed (2 Thess. 2:6-7),” arguing strongly that Michael is the Restrainer. After his journal article was published, Nicholl published it as an appendix in his important monograph (which was his dissertation) From Hope to Despair in Thessalonica: Situating 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Dr. Kurschner gave some context to Paul's restrainer text that helps situate this question for next week's episode.

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they know about the restraining ministry of Antichrist’s revelation: “And so you know what holds him back.” The Thessalonians are under the false impression that the day of the Lord is occurring. To correct their error, Paul teaches that before the Lord’s revelation happens, the Antichrist’s revelation will occur first. But even before the Antichrist’s revelation occurs, Paul explains that the individual who restrains Antichrist’s revelation must be first taken away.

Traditionally, the enigmatic person who restrains has been properly designated “the Restrainer.” Once the Restrainer is removed, this causes Antichrist’s revelation, resulting in Antichrist taking his seat in the temple and proclaiming himself as God (2 Thess 2:4). When this happens at the midpoint of the seven-year period it will cause the abomination of desolation and the unabated great tribulation will commence.

It was also noted that the issue of the identity of the Restrainer is not essential to the prewrath position, namely because it does not sway the fact that Paul teaches two events must occur before Christ’s return: the apostasy and the revelation of the man of lawlessness. So one can be prewrath and disagree that it is Michael because it simply is not inherent to the prewrath position. Conversely, pretribs can hold the Michael view. Similarly, the issues of identifying the religion or ethnicity of the Antichrist, the False Prophet, the Great City of Babylon, or the Two Witnesses are not exclusive to a particular a rapture view. That being said, it is believed that identifying the restrainer as Michael is the most consistent interpretation and that it fits well with the prewrath position.

In part 2 next week, Dr. Kurschner will distill Colin Nicholl's argumentation and provide specific lines of evidence.

 

Marquis Laughlin continues his “Director’s Commentary" of the book of Revelation chapter 5.

Why does John weep because no one can be found who can open the seven-sealed scroll? Does Scripture tell us where the scroll came from and who sealed it? When does the scroll get opened? Why is it so important? Where else does this scroll show up in the book of Revelation?

Listen as Marquis continues this thoughtful and interesting study.

Janet Willis continues her study of the meaning and timing of the New Heaven and the New Earth. Does the apostle John tell us why a New Heaven and a New Earth will be needed? And does he say when this will happen? What does the apostle Peter reveal about the timing of all this?

While the world agonizes over environmental preservation, Janet presents the biblical evidence that, after the eschatological judgments, God Himself will restore His Creation in a marvelous way.

With a look back to the Noahic Flood and various Old Testament prophetic references, it’s exciting to see how God’s promises about our future all fit together!

Ron Wallace presents a possible scenario for understanding why there is sin and evil in the world, and why Satan and demons wander the earth in opposition to the Godhead and the gospel of salvation.

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week.

This episode focuses on the seeming resurrection of the Antichrist. Chris discusses the timing of this event and the notion that the Antichrist is "raised from the dead", along with the strong delusion sent by God upon the unbelieving world during the Great Tribulation. Passages from Revelaton 13, 17 & 18 are presented.

Listen to this fascinating episode concerning the Antichrist.

Marquis Laughlin explores Revelation chapter 4 and asks: Who are the 24 elders? Why isn’t the Church mentioned in Revelation after chapter 4?  Marquis discusses one of the most confusing chapters in the book of Revelation, and points out insights that will help you reconcile challenging interpretations of this part of the book with the rest of Scripture.

Janet Willis notes that both the meaning and the timing of the New Heaven and the New Earth of Revelation 21:1 is often debated among scholars. Is it annihilation and recreation of our universe, or does it mean a restoration?

Does God promise a permanent planet? And whatever this change is, do we know when it occurs? Does it happen at the end or just before the Millennium?

Janet takes a fresh look at Revelation 21:1, looking carefully at its content and context. She presents biblical evidence that shows how John’s first century readers would have understood this verse.

Nelson Walters answers the question of why the world thinks they can beat Jesus in open conflict when He returns at the Second Coming.

Obviously, the creator and King of the Universe can defeat them with a single Word, and does, but yet the world opposes Him right up to the end. What causes this great deception and refusal to repent? Hidden in this Bible study is a great proof for the Prewrath Rapture based on the "3 Spirits like Frogs" in Revelation 16 that deceive the kings of the world.

Ron Wallace shows that the 144,000 Jewish servants of God in Revelation 7 will have a ministry of evangelism. However, for a variety of reasons, some believers think that this will not be the case.  They reject the term "evangelist" as applied to these servants.

But Ron will show that the only significant function of a servant of God is to proclaim the gospel, expecially in the time period after the rapture of the Church.

Marquis Laughlin continues his unique insights on the book of Revelation, it’s ultimate purpose, context, and characters.

In this episode of Bible Prophecy Daily, Marquis examines the activity and nature of angels in the book of Revelation. What can we learn from them about how our own bodies will be changed at the return of Jesus? He explains how a limited view of angels can change our understanding of critical pieces of scripture.

Jake McCandless recently returned from a trip to Israel with the ministry Generation 2 Generation. The trip was to show solidarity with Israel and to learn first-hand what happened in the 10/7 attacks.

Jake was able to tour locations that were attacked and speak with a long list of people on the ground ranging from survivors to IDF officials. He gained incredible insight while on the ground with 360-degree views of the attacks which he is sharing here, over a series of episodes.

The world’s response to the attacks has been horrendous with so many blindly supporting Hamas.  That reaction has led some to even say the attacks did not happen. Though listeners of Bible Prophecy Daily don’t doubt that the attack happened, but one question remains a stumbling block. The question being, “How did Israel not know this attack was coming?” This question is legitimate, with Israel having one of the most sophisticated intelligence operations in the world and Hamas not being the most sophisticated army. The question has cast doubt on the situation. Jake was surprised how that this reality was not avoided as he interviewed survivors and officials throughout Israel.

In this episode, Jake shares explanations from all levels of individuals within Israel and analyses how Israel missed the intelligence about the attack.  Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.

Michael Ufferman from Zion's Hope, continues his study in the Book of Malachi, by investigating exactly what God found during His First Coming.

Malachi specifically warned the priesthood to abide in biblical righteousness so they could stand when the Lord appeared during His First Coming. Did the priesthood of Israel comply? Or will they one day suffer the consequences of the warning of which Malachi spoke?

Since God does everything with purpose and power, and in the Old Testament He saw fit to provide a book with exhortations to the priesthood before His First Coming, does God do the same in the New Testament? Does He provide a book with exhortations to the priesthood before His Second Coming?  Michael will address this question in an upcoming third session of this series: “Twins of a Different Covenant (Part 3): Jude - the Last Book Before God's Second Coming”.

Nelson Walters explains Jesus’ absolute final word to the leaders of Israel and the Pharisees which ended his calling down woes upon them. It also caused them to order his execution. It also is proof that Matthew 24, the Olivet Discourse, is not meant for the Jews but for Christians.

What an amazing, but misunderstood passage of scripture. Listen today as Nelson provides this critical explanation.

Bob Hunt examines Revelation 13:14-15. These two verses highlights a powerful tool that is used to bring the world into the worship of the Beast of the Sea or Antichrist. Bob first places these two verses into the context of what is happening in the world today and secondly, the scene that is set into in the latter days.

The focus and central point of these two verses is the image. This image was to be created by “those who dwell on the earth”, or mankind. Reflecting back on Daniel chapter 3, Bob highlights the response of Daniel’s friends to Nebuchadnezzar’s demand to worship his image. Daniel’s friends show great courage and complete trust in God by placing their lives in His hands. History may repeat itself when the Antichrist demands his image to be worshipped. Bob encourages us to pray and think on how we may respond.

Lastly Bob considers various things this image could be. Computer technology may very well be the vehicle through which we receive the Beast’s image. Technology is exponentially expanding in many areas, but none greater than artificial intelligence. The reality of an independent image created by man is no longer a dream, it is on our doorstep.

But who will control it? How will Christians respond?

Be ready, stand firm – What will be your answer when asked to bow before this image?

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week.

This episode focuses on "palatial tents", a term found in Daniel 11:45.  Chris reiterates that the chapter break between Daniel chapters 11 and 12 are confusing, and interrupt the narrative explaining the flow of how Antichrist appears to be victiorious in his success to rule rule the Middle East, and how he comes to his end in a manner congruent to a "psuedo death and ressurrection" of the Antichrist mentioned six times in the Book of Revelation.

Chris also focuses on the wording of "at that time" found in Daniel 12:1 and Revelation 12, and role of the Archangel Michael.

Listen to this compelling explanation of a core element of the Pre Wrath Rapture positon, concerning the Antichrist and the Archangel Michael as the Restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2, and the relationship of Daniel and Revelation.

Jake McCandless recently returned from a trip to Israel with the ministry Generation 2 Generation. The trip was to show solidarity with Israel and to learn first-hand what happened in the 10/7 attacks.

Jake was able to tour locations that were attacked and speak with a long list of people on the ground ranging from survivors to IDF officials. He gained incredible insight while on the ground with 360-degree views of the attacks, which he will share over a series of episodes.

In this first episode from his time on the ground, Jake shares why he went to Israel. Many around him questioned why he would go to a seemingly dangerous place; in this episode, he shares why.  Jake also shares insights about following God’s calling and the Holy Spirit’s leading. Finally, Jake shares Biblical support of why we should stand with Israel.  You can learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.

Michael Ufferman with Zion's Hope looks at the Book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament. Michael says God used man to write the book and place it as the last book of the Old Testament before 400 silent years where God does not communicate with Israel. In addition, God purposefully placed this book as the last book before His First Coming.

God asks, regarding His future appearing, “who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?”  This is an important question specifically for the priesthood of Israel regarding their righteousness and includes an important warning.

This is the first episode in an interesting series addressing the Lord's First and Second Comings.

Marquis Laughlin discusses some of the different ways the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation have been interpreted throughout Church history, and why it is crucial that we accurately interpret these important messages.

He suggests a literal future fulfillment that fits perfectly with what Jesus told His disciples would happen in Matthew 24.

You can hear more from Marquis at his website Acts of The Word Ministries.

Travis Snow concludes his deep dive into the famous Immanuel prophecy in Isaiah 7:14–16, as well as its fulfillment in the time of Christ. He is exegeting thirteen keys to the text, and covers topics ranging from the meaning of the Hebrew word alma (often translated “virgin”), the historical context of the prophecy, the New Testament use of the Old Testament, typological interpretation, and the meaning of the Virgin Birth for believers today.

This podcast also offers a full response to the common messianic interpretation of Isaiah 7 one is likely to hear in evangelical circles today.

Join Travis today for Part 3, covering the final 5 points (9 through 13), and visit him online at shilohmedia.org.

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week.

This episode focuses on the wars of the Antichrist, occuring just after the Temple sacrifices start and prior the palatial tents being set up. According to Revelation 13:4, the Antichrist has substantive war-making capabilities, and the people on the earth are said to give certain reverence to the Beast's power. The prophecy in Daniel 11 has much to say about this, and is the focal passage of today’s episode.

For addditional study on this topic, visit Chris’ website at Bible Prophecy Talk Podcast.

Dr. Kurschner publicly debated Dr. Thomas Ice in Texas. This episode contains the cross-examination and closing statements. Here is the video viewing for those who want to watch the debate in full.

http://www.alankurschner.com/rapturedebate


THE CHURCH WILL FACE THE ANTICHRIST BEFORE THE RAPTURE
Affirmative: Alan Kurschner | Prewrath
Denial: Thomas Ice | Pretribulational
Moderated by Kerby Anderson
 
The Hope Center, Plano, Texas
September 25, 2015
 
Debate Format:
Part 1: Opening Statements
Prewrath presentation: 25 minutes
Pretrib presentation: 25 minutes
Part 2: Rebuttals
Prewrath rebuttal: 15 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 15 minutes
Prewrath rebuttal: 12 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 12 minutes
Prewrath rebuttal: 10 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 10 minutes
Part 3: Cross-examination
Prewrath to Pretrib: 20 minutes
Pretrib to Prewrath: 20 minutes

Part 4: Closing Statements
Prewrath closing: 7 minutes
Pretrib closing: 7 minutes

Nelson Walters discusses one of the most terrifying and overlooked end times signs – the voice of the Antichrist. Nearly every time the Antichrist is mentioned in scripture, his voice is mentioned. His voice and what he says are his most recognizable characteristics. He and the False Prophet will both be charismatic speakers. The Antichrist's voice will hypnotize and influence those who do not realize the danger and who are not standing guard against his influence.

Travis Snow continues his deep dive into the famous Immanuel prophecy in Isaiah 7:14–16, as well as its fulfillment in the time of Christ. He is exegeting thirteen keys to the text, and covers topics ranging from the meaning of the Hebrew word alma (often translated “virgin”), the historical context of the prophecy, the New Testament use of the Old Testament, typological interpretation, and the meaning of the Virgin Birth for believers today.

This podcast also offers a full response to the common messianic interpretation of Isaiah 7 one is likely to hear in evangelical circles today.

Join Travis for Part 2, covering the next 5 points (4 through 8) in today's episode, and visit him online at shilohmedia.org.

In this episode, Ron Wallace will show that the saints who were raised at Christ's resurrection were not resurrected, but were brought back to life. They were believers who had recently died; were resuscitated by the power of Christ's resurrection; and then appeared to people to testify about the saving work of Jesus and the promise of future resurrection.

Dr. Kurschner publically debated Dr. Thomas Ice in Texas. This episode contains the rebuttals (Here are the opening statements). The next episode will contain the cross-examination and closing statements. Here is the video viewing for those who want to watch the debate in full.

http://www.alankurschner.com/rapturedebate


THE CHURCH WILL FACE THE ANTICHRIST BEFORE THE RAPTURE
Affirmative: Alan Kurschner | Prewrath
Denial: Thomas Ice | Pretribulational
Moderated by Kerby Anderson
 
The Hope Center, Plano, Texas
September 25, 2015
 
Debate Format:
Part 1: Opening Statements
Prewrath presentation: 25 minutes
Pretrib presentation: 25 minutes
Part 2: Rebuttals
Prewrath rebuttal: 15 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 15 minutes
Prewrath rebuttal: 12 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 12 minutes
Prewrath rebuttal: 10 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 10 minutes
Part 3: Cross-examination
Prewrath to Pretrib: 20 minutes
Pretrib to Prewrath: 20 minutes

Part 4: Closing Statements
Prewrath closing: 7 minutes
Pretrib closing: 7 minutes

Travis Snow begins a deep dive into the famous Immanuel prophecy in Isaiah 7:14–16, as well as its fulfillment in the time of Christ. He offers thirteen keys to the exegesis of the text, and covers topics ranging from the meaning of the Hebrew word alma (often translated “virgin”), the historical context of the prophecy, the New Testament use of the Old Testament, typological interpretation, and the meaning of the Virgin Birth for believers today.

This podcast also offers a full response to the common messianic interpretation of Isaiah 7 one is likely to hear in evangelical circles today.

Join Travis for Part 1, covering the first 3 points in today's episode, and visit him online at shilohmedia.org.

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week.

This episode expands on Chris' previous discussions concerning the 10 Kings and the 7-Headed Beast in Daniel and Revelation, as he addresses some questions listeners have asked on this subject.

For addditional study on this topic, visit Chris’ website at Bible Prophecy Talk Podcast.

Dr. Kurschner publically debated Dr. Thomas Ice in Texas. This episode contains the opening statements. The next episodes will be rebuttals, cross-examination, and closing statements. Here is the video viewing for those who want to watch the debate in full.

http://www.alankurschner.com/rapturedebate


THE CHURCH WILL FACE THE ANTICHRIST BEFORE THE RAPTURE
Affirmative: Alan Kurschner | Prewrath
Denial: Thomas Ice | Pretribulational
Moderated by Kerby Anderson
 
The Hope Center, Plano, Texas
September 25, 2015
 
Debate Format:
Part 1: Opening Statements
Prewrath presentation: 25 minutes
Pretrib presentation: 25 minutes
Part 2: Rebuttals
Prewrath rebuttal: 15 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 15 minutes
Prewrath rebuttal: 12 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 12 minutes
Prewrath rebuttal: 10 minutes
Pretrib rebuttal: 10 minutes
Part 3: Cross-examination
Prewrath to Pretrib: 20 minutes
Pretrib to Prewrath: 20 minutes

Part 4: Closing Statements
Prewrath closing: 7 minutes
Pretrib closing: 7 minutes

Nelson Walters Explores the question: "Who makes the Covenant with the many from Daniel 9:27 that launches the last 7 years of man’s rule on earth, the last 7 years of life as we know it?"

That’s a pretty important question. Also, what will the "Covenant with the many" look like?  Ask Christians and you will get a bunch of different answers. So who is the 'he?' who makes the Covenant. Today we're going to figure out what the Bible says about this, what the covenant with the many might be, and most importantly what Christians should be doing if and when they see this sign.

Ron Wallace dispels the popular claim that Christ would never allow His bride to face the persecution from the Antichrist.  Many in the pre-trib camp believe that Christ would simply never let that happen.

Severe persecution, even to the point of physical death, has been the experience of the Church from its beginning. And the presence of such persecution at the hands of Antichrist in the tribulation is really no different from facing death through persecution before the tribulation. The idea that Christ would never allow His bride to face the persecution from the Antichrist cannot logically be used to prove that the Church won't enter the tribulation.

Dr. Alan Kurschner talked about the nature of the fulfillment of the gospel prophecy in Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

He first explained the structure of Matthew 24, which situates Matthew 24:14 for its meaning. Verse 14 completes the major section in Matthew 24, whereas v. 15 begins a parenthetical section.

Then Dr. Kurschner talked about why he does not believe the gospel prophecy in Matthew 24:14 refers to the Great Commission in Matthew 28. Instead, he believes Matthew 24:14 refers to the angelic proclamation portrayed in Revelation 14. It will happen just before the return of Jesus to judge the world. It is a gospel of judgment, warning the world that they need to give God glory lest they experience the impending wrath of God at Christ’s return.

 

Nelson Walters examines the many ways the Bible describes the Resurrection and the Rapture in terms of a Hebrew Harvest. And to Christians, there is really nothing more important than these events that reunite us with our Lord Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist, the apostle John, the apostle Paul, and Jesus all described the resurrection and rapture in terms of a "harvest". So do you know how this is?  Jesus is said to hold a sickle and winnowing fork. Do you know why? Do you know what takes place in a harvest and when the different harvests happened?

Here’s a big question! There were 3 major harvests in Israel: the Barley, the Wheat and the Grape harvestss. Which one will you be in?

It's not like we're the Fruit of the Loom guys, but we’re either barley, wheat or grapes - at least metaphorically. And because churches today have forgotten what the harvest metaphors are all about, so many arguments have been spawned about the rapture and resurrection in our churches.

Listen to Bible teacher Neslon Walters as he unpacks this fascinating understanding.

Dr. Michael Weis, with Zions Hope, discusses the physical rule of Jesus from Earth as he begins exploring the Millennium, or Kingdom Age.

He opens with a summary of the views of the 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6. He presents clear Biblical evidence that Jesus must physically sit on His throne in the Kingdom, and that this has not been fulfilled today in the Church.

Join him on this exciting journey and see why these topics are so important for us today.

Ron Wallace compares the Old Testament timeline from Daniel chapter 9 with the time line taught by Jesus.

Through that comparison, Ron shows what must transpire on the stage of human history before the 70th week of Daniel can begin. And, from a PreWrath perspective, that means what likewise must transpire before the return of Jesus.

Jake McCandless invites us to dream a dream with him—a dream of a Maranatha Generation.

Are we passing down the end of the story to the next generation? Likely we’re not just as it was not passed down to us well. The western church has not done well telling the whole story; but when children and youth hear the missing pieces such as the end of the age, the return of Jesus, God’s continued plan for Israel, and the reality of the unseen world, the story of truth becomes bigger.

Jake’s ministry, Stand Firm, is shifting to focus on helping families stand firm and navigate such a time as this. This need isn’t just about Jake’s work, but is something we should all consider. What if we could help this next generation be a Maranatha Generation!

Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.

Charles Cooper points out that it has long been argued by pretribulationists that Revelation 3:10 is a prooftext for their position. So certain are many who espouse this position that exegesis must take a backseat to any other claims of Scripture. Charles notes the critical role punctuation makes in the reading and understadning of this verse.

If you would like to read a detailed dismantling of this argument with clear biblical exegesis, drop Charles a quick email and he will send you a PDF copy of his book: "Revelation 3:10 – A Bombshell." His email is coop@kingdomalive.us.

Chris White continues his multi-part study on the timing of the events during the 70th week.

This episode is about the covenants and sacrifices at the beginning of the 7-year period.

For addditional study on this topic, visit Chris' website at Bible Prophecy Talk Podcast.

Dr. Alan Kurschner explained that the expressions the "day of the Lord" and the "second coming" (Parousia) refer to the same event, the return of Christ. They are co-referential and thus are used interchangeably.

Dr. Kurschner cautioned against committing the word concept fallacy, where one would require that a particular term must be present in a text for a concept to be described there. The biblical writers had the freedom to use many different terms to describe a single event, such as the return of Christ.

He gave several specific biblical examples that demonstrate this. For example, Peter and Paul use the expressions "day of the Lord" and the "coming" (parousia) interchangeably in various contexts, such as events leading up to the second coming or our spiritual posture leading up to the second coming.

See Dr. Kurschner's most recent book, where he discusses this issue:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Pretrib-Examining-Foundations-Pretribulation-Theology/dp/0985363398?&linkCode=ll1&tag=alankurschner-20&linkId=5524bfe715ab418b2a5d49ebc8f08458&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 

Marquis Laughlin shares unique insights on the Book of Revelation, it’s ultimate purpose, context, and characters. He stresses the importance of examining all of God’s Word to help us understand this book by encouraging us to get the “Directors” perspective of His story.

Today's episode is focused on Chapter 1. Expect lots of answers to simple questions often overlooked by standard commentaries!

Jake McCandless shares a surprise New Testament passage that contains one of the greatest summaries of Old Testament prophecy. Not only does this passage in Luke 2 summarize Old Testament prophecy, but can help us in our understanding of Bible prophecy today.

First, it is a clear presentation of what the first century audience expected from prophecy. It also shows how we can balance personal insight through the Holy Spirit and revealed prophecy from Scripture.

Listen in to this overlooked masterpiece prophecy summary from Simeon the Summarizer. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.

Janet Willis believes a correct view of the size of New Jerusalem matters. This is the second half that follows her previous podcast on this topic. Today, Janet relates more of her research showing why the size of Ezekiel’s city (Ezekiel 48) and John’s city (Revelation 21-22) are compatible.

To view related graphics at full size, click the thumbnails below. The print article titled “The Size of the New Jerusalem and Why John’s and Ezekiel’s Cities Are Compatible”, from Eschatos Ministries, can be ordered by clicking here, and a free online version of the article can be seen here. For a seven-minute video overview of Janet’s work on the New Jerusalem, click here.

Charles Cooper previously looked at the pre-, mid-, and post-tribulation positions on the timing of the rapture in the book of Revelation. Now, Charles turns his attention to a synthetic view regarding this critical question.

There are points of truth in all of the rapture positions, but their error prevents any one position from being universally accepted.

A synthetic view that takes the strengths of each position, along with several clarifications, allows the rapture to be identified in Revelation 7:9-ff. Listen as Cooper defends his position.

Ron Wallace answers the question, "What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?" Is there a sin that cannot be forgiven?

In this episode Ron will show that there is indeed one sin that cannot be forgiven: it is the sin of unbelief. That is, the sin of rejecting Jesus as your Savior. The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the attitude and expression that rejects the Spirit's testimony that Jesus is the Messiah.

When Jesus performed miracles such as healing and casting out demons, this was the ministry of the Holy Spirit bearing witness that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and Savior of the world. If a person denied that the Holy Spirit was working in and through Jesus, this was the same as denying that Jesus was the Messiah.

Rejection of Jesus as the Messiah is the sin of unbelief. The sin of unbelief is the only sin for which Jesus could not die. It is a "forever sin" that results only in condemnation to the lake of fire.

Marquis Laughlin shares unique insights on the Book of Revelation, it’s ultimate purpose, context, and characters. He stresses the importance of examining all of God’s Word to help us understand this book by encouraging us to get the “Director's” perspective of His story. Expect lots of answers to simple questions often overlooked by standard commentaries.

Dr. Alan Kurschner talked about Malachi’s prophecy of the coming of the prophet Elijah before the day of the Lord: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (Mal 4:5).

There are several key precursors that will happen before the return of Christ: celestial disturbances, the apostasy, the Antichrist, to name a few. Then there is the prophecy about Elijah arriving before the day of the Lord.

Dr. Kurschner explained that Malachi’s prophecy of Elijah was not fulfilled in John the Baptist. John the Baptist was certainly a type of Elijah in “spirit and power.” But he was not the intended fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy.

There are six reasons why the fulfillment of the Elijah prophecy is still in the future and thus not fulfilled in John the Baptist.
1. Jesus envisioned his ministry in two phases, his first and second coming.
2. Gabriel’s statement about John the Baptist indicates that he was not the intended fulfillment of Elijah’s coming.
3. John the Baptist himself explicitly stated that he is not Elijah.
4. Elijah may be one of the two witnesses, who will arrive in the future.
5. Elijah never experienced death, which may suggest a future coming.
6. The conjunction of Elijah and the Transfiguration, which was a preview of Jesus’ second coming, connects Elijah with Christ’s second coming.
The Elijah prophecy shows that Christ’s return is not imminent, but demonstrates that there will be precursors, such as Elijah’s arrival, before the day of the Lord, and by extension the rapture.

Nelson Walters discusses 5 essential prophecies about the Third Temple that even most scholars don’t know. Are you confused about the third temple? You’re not alone, as even most scholars are, and that’s why we’re doing this teaching today.

As you will hear, the third temple in Jerusalem is the most iconic prophecy about the coming of the end times. For most Christians, with even a limited amount of knowledge of prophecy, it is the ONE sign that will tell them that the end times have begun.

As one may hear frequently, “If I don’t see the third temple standing in Jerusalem, I’m not worrying about the end times.”  That might make sense if everything you’ve been told about the third temple is correct. But what if the scholars you follow regularly are mistaken? Then it could be a downright dangerous position to take.

Jake McCandless, with Stand Firm Ministries, continues celebrating the Christmas season in this episode as he visits one of the most quoted “Christmas” passages, Isaiah 9:6-7. This is the “unto us a child is born” verse, but strangely in this perfect Christmas greeting card passage, there’s a seemingly strange mention of this child having the government on His shoulders.

This seems to “mess up” the perfect Christmas passage, but Jake argues that is because in modern Christianity we present just a sliver of the complete Biblical narrative. This sliver causes us to miss the importance of prophecy, the return of Jesus, the Millennial Kingdom, and God’s continued plan for Israel. The seemingly odd phrase in Isaiah 9 bridges all of these things.

Jake takes the opportunity of Christmas to point to the larger narrative of the Gospel. He reveals also how many popular Christmas hymns touch on the larger narrative as well.

Chris White begins an 11-week study on the timing of the events during the 70th week. This episode is all about world government and how it is possible that Christians can be deceived by it.

David Rosenthal, President of Zion's Hope, kicks off our second year of Bible Prophecy Daily with a discussion of what a future Gaza Strip will look like following the Israel-Hamas War.

Look for Arab nations working with Israel to establish a stable Gaza, fueled by the international influx of dollars, resources, and peacekeepers.  Listen as David examines these possibilities in “Post-War Gaza: What to Watch for in the Middle East.”

Dr. Alan Kurschner played a brief clip from his introduction at a Bible Prophecy seminar in the Salt Lake City Area. He opened up this seminar by responding to various platitudes that others often make that sound pious on the surface but are not biblical reality.

These platitudes are intended to discourage and deflate your desire to study eschatology, especially on the second coming of Christ. However, when these platitudes or slogans are examined in the light of  Scripture, they are shown to be vacuous statements.

Some of these platitudes include:
"What only matters is the fact that Jesus is returning."
"It will all 'pan out' in the end."
"This doctrine divides the church."
"Who are you to think that you have the right answer?"
"Theologians have been debating this for centuries."
"There are so many views out there."
Dr. Kurschner responded to these unbiblical platitudes with counter-biblical truths from Jesus, Paul, and the book of Revelation.

Michael Ufferman, staff teacher with Zion’s Hope, concludes this 8-part series covering the eternal ministry and physical manifestations of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

In this session, Michael wraps up the series with a discussion on the future, promised, physical coming of Jesus Christ to resurrect and rapture His saints, take possession of planet Earth, and rule as King of kings and Lord of lords during His Millennial Reign and beyond.

Charles Cooper continues his study of the structure of the Book of Revelation in preparation for his presentation regarding the placement of the rapture according to the PreWrath rapture view.

This second half of the prophetic sequence is a preview and explanation of why the devastating wrath of God in the form of bowl judgments is necessary. Following God’s wrath, the Kingdom of the Lamb and the eternal dwelling of God on earth is presented.

Bob Hunt of Zion’s Hope Ministries in Winter Garden, FL bases today's teaching on Revelation 13:11-13. In this passage a second beast is introduced by John. The first beast (Revelation 13:1-10) is easy to identify: he is the Antichrist to come. We see in Daniel 7 a fourth beast who is the same figure as John’s first beast of Revelation. Thus, support outside of Revelation can be found for this first beast.

But who is this second beast?  We can search the Scriptures and it is hard to find any corresponding figure. But nonetheless this person plays a key role in Satan’s attempt to over throw the Lord as Supreme over the earth. This second beast will partner with the first beast and be driven by Satan to do his will. This second beast is also known as the False Prophet.

The False Prophet will proclaim a false doctrine and lead the earth into the worship of the first beast, The Antichrist. He will perform wondrous and amazing acts to validate the first beast's claim to power and authority over the world. Deception will be his greatest tool as he leads many away from the Lord. This session highlights the deceptive nature of the second beast.

Dr. Alan Kurschner offers the poignant reminder that it may be God’s will that you confront the Antichrist or his minions.

The vast majority of churches in America, including many ear-itching pretrib churches, are pleasing the will of their people by telling them what they want to hear, which is that they will never have to face the Antichrist.

Alan gives us good consideration why we need to beleive Jesus' comforting words, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)

Also, as Alan mentioned in today's episode, consider attending the Zion's Hope Bible Prophecy Summit January 26-27 in Orlando, Florida.  Alan will be joining other Bible teachers you hear on Bible Prophecy Daily: David Rosenthal, Bob Hunt, Michael Ufferman & Michael Weis, along with Dr. Dan Hayden, Victor Kalisher, Joshua Simon, Alina Theodor and Lisa Shtrambrand. Click here for more information.

Nelson Waters discusses the real reason Michael fought Satan for Moses’ body (see Jude 9). Moses was among the most amazing God-fearing men ever. But once he passed away, why did Satan want his dead body, and why did the Archangel Michael fight him for it? This has to be one of the most mysterious passages in the Bible. Why was that important to either Satan or Michael? And what does this have to do with the end times?

Michael Ufferman, staff teacher with Zion’s Hope, looks at the life of Jesus on Earth after His crucifixion, death, and burial; in other words, during His Post-Incarnate time on Earth.

In a future episode 8, Michael will conclude the series as he discusses the promised future manifestation of God through the person of the glorified Christ.

Charles Cooper continues his study of the timing of the rapture in the Book of Revelation. He argues that the location of the rapture in the Book of Revelation is notoriously difficult due to the absence of an explicit reference. Another complicating factor is the inability of scholars to agree on the structure of the book.

One cannot place the rapture in the book if he or she does not understand the structure. Before we look at the PreWrath timing of the ethereal reunion of the saints with her Lord, we will examine the structure of the Revelation.

Chapter 1 through chapter 11:15 is the first prophetic half of the book based on our understanding of Revelation 10.

Travis Snow explains the historical meaning of the famous Immanuel prophecy in Isaiah 7.  In this special Christmas week episode, Travis covers the fulfillment of this prophecy in the life of Christ and how it offers hope for the people of God today. Grab a cup of coffee, get your Bible and listen along as we learn and rejoice in this marvelous truth from God's Word.

To follow Travis’ ministry, visit shilohmedia.org and check out his Twitter account @travismsnow.

Dr. Alan Kurschner talked about why Matthew 24:31 refers to the rapture. He first explained the situational context of Jesus's Olivet Discourse. What prompted Jesus's discourse? Then, he described the co-text (a term he explains) of verse 31. The focus is in the sky—Jesus is in the sky, not the earth. The surrounding text of verse 31 also describes a cause-and-effect action; that is, the angelic gathering causes the elect to meet Jesus in the sky. This can be none other than the rapture event. There are other reasons why Matthew 24:31 refers to the rapture that Dr. Kurschnner will cover in subsequent episodes. But in this particular program, he highlighted this cause-and-effect action.

 

 

Chris White continues his study about the beasts found in Daniel and Revelation, and how world empires are connected to these images.

The differences found in the Daniel and Revelation passages beg the question, "Are there three, two or one '7-Headed, 10-Horned Beast'"?

 

Marquis Laughlin shares the story of Christ’s first coming from the Scriptures. From the birth of John the Baptist, to the jealousy and rage of King Herod, the story of the arrival of the Messiah is the most amazing fulfillment of Bible prophecy to-date!

Discover how to use it as a powerful testimony to God’s sovereignty and the credibility of Bible prophecy.

Jake McCandless drops two Christmas Specials this month!  This is the first, in which Jake goes back to the First Advent and uses it as a case study of being found ready for the Second Advent, or Return of Christ. There’s a lot to learn from the very few who were ready for the Messiah’s appearing. Most all of the Lord’s own people missed it.

There’s no missing the return of Jesus, but there is the possibility of being found unfaithful and not ready.

Look back at the birth of Jesus, and those who were on the inside and ready, and learn how to be prepared for His second coming.

Ron teaches exactly how people were saved in the Old Testament. The gospel of salvation has always been the same since God taught Adam and Eve how to be restored to right relationship with Him.

Indeed, it is the everlasting gospel. It is the message of God's grace provision so that everyone who is willing can receive forgiveness of sins and be given everlasting life with God.

Dr. Alan Kurschner talked about the incredibly consistent teaching between Jesus's Olivet Discourse and Paul's Thessalonian letters on the doctrine of the second coming. He listed thirty parallels between Jesus and Paul. The pretribulational rapture position wrongly dichotomizes this teaching between Matthew 24 and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Their system (tradition) requires their interpretation, otherwise that would mean that the rapture would come after, not before, the Antichrist's great tribulation.

He listed thirty parallels between Jesus and Paul and commented on a handful of them. Then he concluded by answering several objections to the prewrath interpertation. Pretribs claim that there are "contradictions" between Jesus and Paul's accounts of the return of Christ therefore they think these two accounts are not describing the same event. Dr. Kurschner refuted these surface-level objections. The great consistency between Jesus and Paul's teachings supports prewrath eschatology.

Links mentioned in the program:

https://www.alankurschner.com/antichrist-before-the-day-of-the-lord/

https://www.alankurschner.com/laminated-prewrath-charts/

 

Nelson Walters presents that even though the Four Horsemen are the among most iconic prophecies in the Bible, they will be very different from what most Christians believe. And that's why this is a must-hear teaching!  It is likely that almost everyone alive will experience at least one or two of the horsemen. They are coming fast and furious toward this world.

 

Chris White resumes his study about the beasts in Daniel and Revelation. In the previous episode (part 5), Chris discussed the 7-Headed, 10-Horned Beast as found in Daniel 7.

In today’s episode, he turns to the book of Revelation.

Marquis Laughlin examines what we can learn about how God fulfills Bible prophecy from the Christmas story in the scriptures.  In order for us to avoid pitfalls and misconceptions, we must understand our biases and learn from those who have gone before us.

 

Ron Wallace teaches about the Judgment Seat of God for believers, and the Great White Throne Judgment for unbelievers.

Each believer who dies is privately and completely evaluated at the moment they are in the presence of God.  At the rapture, each living believer will likewise be evaluated at the moment they are in the presence of God.

Dr. Alan Kurschner talked about Paul's use of the term "temple" (naos) in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Does Paul have in mind a literal, physical temple? Or is he referring to a figurative, spiritual sense?

Dr. Kurschner first explained that naos does not require some large Solomaic-like structure. Instead, it can refer to a small tent-like structure or inner sanctuary. In addition, it must be erected before the midpoint when the Antichrist is revealed and commits the abomination of the desolation.

He then responded to the historicist interpretation of "temple" in 2 Thess 2:4. Typically, they interpret it in a spiritual fashion, such as "the church." He explained two exegetical fallacies that they commit when arguing for this conclusion, including the "corpus fallacy." This latter fallacy is a common lexical fallacy that is linguistically naive. He gave a couple of analogies to illustrate my point. Historicists, at the end of the day, must import a foreign meaning into 2 Thess 2:4 to maintain their figurative-church interpretation of naos.

Finally, Dr. Kurschner cited three New Testament scholars (two of them Thessalonian scholars) who made excellent points on this issue. Colin R. Nicholl gives four reasons relating to the worship of the Antichrist. Daniel Wallace demonstrates a development of Paul's thought on the temple. And Gene L. Green makes the point of the orientation of the Antichrist's claims that militates against a "church" sense.

 

Links mentioned in the program:

Colin R. Nicholl. From Hope to Despair in Thessalonica: Situating 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series 126. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. See also his "Michael, The Restrainer Removed (2 Thess. 2:6–7).” The Journal of Theological Studies, April 2000.

https://bible.org/article/"temple-god"-2-thessalonians-24-literal-or-metaphorical

Gene L. Green. The Letters to the Thessalonians. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002, 312.

 

Nelson Walters explains why today’s teaching is going to change your life. Why are the many protests against Israel a big problem for Christians? Hundreds of thousands are taking to the streets in the Middle East, Australia, Europe, Canada, and the USA chanting , "From the river to the sea!", meaning that they want Israel eliminated as a nation so the Palestinians can own all the land from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean sea.  And whether you agree with the protestors or not, if you’re a Christian this is a big problem for you. Nelson explains why.

Janet Willis believes a correct view of the size of New Jerusalem matters. In this podcast, Janet first compares the many similarities of Ezekiel’s city (Ezekiel 48) and John’s city (Revelation 21-22). These similarities compel us to reexamine the traditional view of the size of New Jerusalem. She presents reasons why Revelation 21:16 should be reexamined, and then begins to explain why the two cities are compatible. Subsequent podcasts will expand on this theme with more of her research.

To see related graphics at full size, click the thumbnails below.  For a seven-minute video overview of Janet’s work on the New Jerusalem, click here.

Comparison Chart

Proportionate size of a cube on the globe

The print article titled “The Size of the New Jerusalem and Why John’s and Ezekiel’s Cities Are Compatible”, from Eschatos Ministries, can be ordered by clicking here, and a free online version of the article can be seen here.

Nelson Walters explains that in the Book of Revelation there are two mysterious figures. God says, “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3).

So who are the witnesses, what do they prophesy about, and when do they minister?

When you understand who they are and what they’re doing, the Book of Revelation comes alive! So let’s figure this out together on today's episode.

Charles Cooper now turns our attention to the MidTribulation Rapture position, which teaches that Revelation 14:14-16 depicts the rapture of the Church. Because of the harvest of the earth by the “one like a son of man,” many see this as a clear reference to the rapture. In fact, both pre-tribbers and post-tribbers have also argued for this passage representing the rapture of the Church. Let’s see if this is so.

Travis Snow discusses how Zechariah 12:1–3 provides prophetic insight into current events in Israel and rising antisemitism around the world.

If you like this teaching and want to go deeper in the subject matter, check out Travis’ books at shilohmedia.org.

Michael Ufferman, staff teacher with Zion’s Hope, discusses how the physical manifestation of God came about, with the announcement by the Angel Gabriel and the overshadowing of Mary by God’s Holy Spirit, to conceive the incarnate God in Jesus.

Michael also identifies how Scripture proclaims the physical manifestation of God in Jesus, perfectly bearing witness of the Father and His nature.

And, finally in this episode, we see how the physical manifestation of God comes to an end in human form as we know it, with Christ’s beating, crucifixion, death, and burial.

In episode 7, Michael will continue the series as he discusses the post-incarnate manifestation of God.