Category Archives: Encyclopedia

The Prophetic Land

Main article: Key Players and Terms in Prophecy Related: The Prophetic Earth; The Prophetic World; The Third Part; The Fourth Part   The Land. “The land” in prophecy refers to a more restricted area than the world, or even the earth; it refers specifically to the land of Israel. Often it goes beyond the borders of the land in […]

The Intermediate State

Main article: Millennium and Eternal State Related: The Abyss; The Father’s House   The Intermediate State (Luke 16:19-31; Luke 23:40-43; 2 Cor. 5:1-8; Phil. 1:21-23). When a person on earth dies, they enter a spiritual state, known in scripture as Hades, sometimes translated “hell”. Hades is not exactly a place, but rather a state. Death […]

Divine Life

Main article: Divine Life and Eternal Life Related: New Birth; Eternal Life   Divine life is a term Bible students use to refer to spiritual life from God. In our fallen condition, we do not have any capacity to perceive, understand, or respond to the claims of God. We are in a condition of spiritual […]

Binding and Loosing

Related: The Ground of Gathering; 1 Cor. 5:4; Matt. 16:19; Matt. 18:18; Assembly Meetings   Binding and Loosing. The local assembly has been invested with authority to “bind” or “loose” a person’s sin (Matt. 18:18); which means to “retain” or “remit” their sin (John 20:23). Binding and loosing are two administrative actions that are done “in the Name of our Lord Jesus […]

Inspiration

Inspiration is the process in which God communicates His thoughts to man. Inspiration comes from the Greek word ‘theopneustos’ or God-breathed. Inspiration can be both oral and written. Paul says“which also we speak”(1 Cor. 2:13), referring to inspired speech. The word “traditions” (‘didaches‘) is also used several times in the New Testament, not only for the added sayings of men (Matt. 15:1-7), […]

Old Nature and New Nature

The terms. The old nature and the new nature are terms that are not found verbatim in the Word of God, but what they represent is found many times. For example, the old nature is called “the mind of the flesh”, or “sin”, or “the law of sin”, or “sin that dwells in me.” The […]

Word and Words of God

The Word and the Words of God. There are two words used for “word” in the New Testament. The first is logos and the second is rhema. Both are common Greek words that can be a little difficult for English minds to understand. Logos is the full revelation of a mind. A person has a mind, […]

The Third Part of the Earth

Main article: Key Players and Terms in Prophecy Related: The Prophetic Earth; The Land; The Prophetic World; The Fourth Part   The Third Part of the Earth. The “third part” is mentioned quite frequently in the book of Revelation. It refers to the part of the earth that was under the control of the Old Roman Empire, and will […]

Baptism of the Spirit

Related: The Ordinance of Baptism; Q&A: Baptism of the Holy Ghost; Body of Christ; Indwelling Spirit   Baptism of the Spirit. There is much disagreement today over the baptism of the Spirit. Critical translations render 1 Cor. 12:13 as follows, “For also in the power of one Spirit we have all been baptised into one body”. Timing. The verb […]

Cleansing or Washing

Related: Footwashing; New Birth; Baptism; Regeneration; Sanctification; Blood of Christ   Cleansing or Washing. As believers, we have a double cleansing through the work of Christ. A moral cleansing when we received a new life with right desires and motives. A judicial cleansing when we rest in faith on the finished work of Christ.   By Water and Blood. […]

The Three Jameses

There are three chief men called James in the New Testament. They are sometimes hard to distinguish, and even the best expositors do not all agree on who is who. After studying these men, here are my conclusions. James the Great. This is James the son of Zebedee. He was part of the favored trio (Peter, […]

Old Testament Quotations

Old Testament prophecies quoted in the New Testament. The Old Testament scriptures are quoted often in the New Testament, and used various ways. A translational note in Darby’s bible on Matt. 2 is helpful: To show the event, without which the prophecy could not be fulfilled; in these cases it says “that it might be fulfilled” e.g. John 19:24, 28, 36; Matt. 21:4-5. […]

New Testament Apostles and Prophets

Related: Spiritual Gifts   New Testament Apostles and Prophets. When Paul refers to “the apostles and prophets” he is referring to New Testament apostles and prophets. These apostles and prophets are the “foundation gifts” (Eph. 2:20). The apostles were those men sent by the Lord Himself. Read more… But not all the New Testament writers […]

The Fourth Part of the Earth

Main article: Key Players and Terms in Prophecy Related: The Prophetic Earth; The Land; The Prophetic World; The Third Part   The Fourth Part of the earth. It is unclear from scripture what “the fourth part” definitely refers to. The phrase occurs only once in prophecy, in Rev. 6: “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name […]

The Body of Christ

Related: Baptism of the Spirit; The House of God; The Bride of Christ   The Body of Christ. The body of Christ is a figure used in the New Testament to describe the assembly of God. The body of Christ was formed on the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God was sent down […]

Christian Liberty

Christian liberty is an important subject in the New Testament. The basic principle is this: the Christian has been set completely free from every kind of bondage in order to do the will of God. The believer has been set free from the tyranny of indwelling sin (Rom. 6:7). Those who were once idol-worshiping Pagans […]

The Three Judases

There are three Judases in the New Testament that are often confused. Here are my conclusions. Judas Thaddaeus. By comparing with Luke we see that “Lebbaeus, who was surnamed Thaddaeus” must be Judas the brother of James. Since there were only two sons of Zebedee, it must mean that he was the brother of James […]

Traditions

Traditions. Any tradition formed on any other basis than the Word of God will sooner or later be found in contradiction to the plain commandments of God. We see this with the copious traditions developed in the Catholic Church down through the centuries. Holy candles, holy robes, holy incense, holy smoke, etc. all are in […]

Ten Temptations

Main article: The Wilderness Experience   Ten Temptations. We read of the “ten temptations” (Num. 14:22) where Israel tempted Jehovah in the wilderness. “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened […]