The Army of the Messiah
The book of Revelation is a wondrous part of the Bible. But it's apocalyptic literature, full of symbolic imagery that strikes many modern readers as puzzling or even bizarre. Revelation…
The Seed of the Church
Our study of Revelation 11:1-13 is now complete. How can we apply what we've learned? How is this strange passage relevant to Christians living in the 21st century? There's a…
Thy Kingdom Come
Revelation 11 is arguably the most dense & difficult chapter in the entire Bible. It's apocalyptic literature, full of highly figurative and symbolic language which leaves many readers perplexed. One…
Vindication of the Martyrs
The two witnesses of Revelation 11 represent God's holy people. They've been given the task of prophesying to the nations, warning them that God's righteous judgment will come upon everyone…
Revelation and Rome
The beast of Revelation 11 most directly corresponds to the Roman Empire. John will later elaborate on the nature of the beast. In fact, he will describe two beasts: one…
Who Is the Beast?
The two witnesses of Revelation 11 represent the church, who've been given the crucial task of prophesying to the nations. God's people must warn humanity that if they persist in…
Measuring the Temple
We're now on the cusp of Revelation 11, perhaps the most bewildering chapter in the Bible. We've learned about the crucial scroll (introduced in chapter 5) which contains God's plan…
Elections & Consequences
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that a Presidential election is rapidly approaching. Many Americans are no doubt worn out by the relentless political ads. Most Christians…
From Persecution to Empire
The third century was a tumultuous time for the Roman Empire. 30 emperors reigned during this century, but few died peacefully. Most were victims of bloody coups which triggered further…
Translation of the Seventy
The last few weeks we've been tracing the formation of the Old Testament. Let's summarize what we've learned so far. The key criterion for inclusion in the sacred writings was…