Related: Sanctification; Reconciliation; Rom. 3:24; Rom. 5:1   Justification. The verb “to justify” means ‘to declare a person righteous’. A nice example of this is in Num. 23:21, where God declared that He had not seen any iniquity in His erring people. Likewise, the Christian has been justified in that, while he has not lived righteously, yet God has declared […]

Reconciliation (Col. 1:20-22; Eph. 2:16; Rom. 5:11; 2 Cor. 5:18-19) has to do with God’s work of bringing lost and guilty sinners back to Himself. Reconciliation deals with alienation, and the feelings of enmity that are in the heart of the sinner. Alienation and enmity are the result of man’s sin. The fault is on our […]

The World. When scripture uses the word “world” it usually means one of three things, although sometimes there is a blend between them. The Greek word is kosmos, and in the broadest definition it means an ordered system. The World-place (“the planet”). In the most basic sense, the term refers to the literal planet earth. An […]

Main article: The Prophetic Week Related: The Great Tribulation   “And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17). The Jewish remnant is one of the most important people-groups in prophecy. Much […]

Related: Pharisees; Sadducees   Essenes. This was one of three primary sects of the Jews in the first century. The sect arose apparently out of disgust for both the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were a monastic order, emphasizing isolation, a vegetarian diet, and celibacy. The name “Essenes” is not found in scripture, but they were […]

Related: The Assembly; The Body of Christ; The Bride of Christ; Office   The House of God. The term ‘House of God’ basically means the “dwelling-place” of God. In a greater sense, the universe is the house of God (Heb. 3:4; Acts 7:48-50; Isa. 66:1). But on earth, God had a physical house in the […]

Dispensational Days. There are three time periods referred to in scripture as “days”. They provide a simple yet helpful way to organize world history: not only past and present, but future as well. The “day of man” (1 Cor. 4:3) began in Genesis, either with Adam when he fell, or (more likely) with Cain, who went out from the […]

Judgment of the Quick. “The judgment of the quick” (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). The judgment of the “quick” or living is when the Lord will deal with the living persons on earth, at the START of the Millennium. It includes: The Harvest Judgment (Rev. 14:14-16, Matt. 13:39-43), The Vintage or Winepress Judgment (Rev. 14:17-20; Isa. […]

Redemption has more to do with our condition than our standing. Redemption means to be “bought back and set free” from (1) sin, (2) the world, and (3) Satan for the purpose of doing the will of God in worship and in service. “Let My people go, that they may serve Me” (Ex. 8:1). There are four aspects […]

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. “For this reason I say unto you, Every sin and injurious speaking shall be forgiven to men, but speaking injuriously of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. And whosoever shall have spoken a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against […]

Main article: The Prophetic Week Related: The Great Tribulation   The Beginning of Sorrows. The first 3 1/2 years of Daniel’s seventieth week is called “The Beginning of Sorrows” (Matt. 24:8). During this period the first six seals of Revelation are unfolded. It begins when The Beast makes a covenant with Israel, and ends when “the […]

Related: Pharisees; Sadducees   The Sanhedrin (the Council, Acts 23:1) was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees. The word sanhedrin or sanhedrim means ‘a sitting together’, and is most often translated “the council”. The word comes up an number of times in scripture; e.g. Matt. 5:22; Matt. 26:59; Mark 14:55; Mark 15:1. The Sanhedrin was […]

Ages. The following references give us the bible’s definition of ages, this age, the conclusion of this age, and the age to come. It should be noticed that ages (or, eons) have to do with this world, or a display to this world of some kind. As no longer Jews and Gentiles, but part of […]

Death in scripture is always connected with separation: Physical death – the body separate from Spirit (Jam. 2:26). For the believer who dies, scripture says they are “fallen asleep through Jesus” or “put to sleep by Jesus” (1 Thess. 4:14). Physical death is a temporary state of the body without the soul and spirit. Hades (the intermediate […]

Related: The Kingdom of Heaven; The Gospel of the Kingdom   The Kingdom of God is a moral kingdom that God has in this world, where His authority is recognized and His character is reflected. We are not told of it’s beginning, although it is never spoken of as being present until Jesus was here on earth. […]

Related: Cleansing or Washing; Sanctification; New Birth   Regeneration. The word “regenerate” means “to give a new and more vigorous life to something”. It doesn’t mean “to give a new life when there was none before”, but “to give a new lifestyle”. It is the same word from which we get the English word “Renaissance” or “re-birth”. In […]

This generation. Twelve times over in Matthew’s gospel the term “this generation” is used.  Matt. 3:7; 11:16; 12:34, 39, 41, 42, 45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:33, 36; 24:34. Half of those are found in ch.11-12. It refers to the moral class of individuals among the nations of Israel that have been the rejecters of God’s testimony […]

Main article: The Prophetic Week Related: The Beginning of Sorrows   The Great Tribulation. The last 3 1/2 years of Daniel’s seventieth week is called “the Great Tribulation” (Matt. 24:21, Rev. 7:14). During this period the 7th seal, the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Vials/Bowl are unfolded. It begins when the “abomination of desolations” is set […]

Related: Pharisees; Herodians; Sanhedrin; Essenes; Leaven    Sadducees. This name comes from ‘Zadok’, or ‘Sadoc’, the promised line of priests in Israel who descended through Phinehas. In the gospel narratives, the Sadducees are more closely connected with the chief priests (Acts 5:17), although the office of High Priest moved between the Pharisees and Sadducees at times. During the […]

Main article: The Sufferings of Christ   Christ’s Sympathetic Sufferings are what Christ felt as He sympathized with others in their circumstances. There are at least two reasons for these sufferings: (1) His deep compassion for others, and (2) that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest.    With joy we meditate the […]