My friend Bob Cruickshank sent the following to me regarding testimonies on Facebook’s Preterfest group: “So many were caught up in the JW [Jehovah’s Witnesses] movement—thinking the world was going to end and knocking on doors to tell people.” It’s encouraging to see so many people abandoning end times fiction. The sad fact is that many Evangelicals have been told a prophetic system that is like [...]

Gary discusses Revelation 20 and the enduring topic of the thousand years and the various millennial positions found among Christians. Nobody interprets the book of Revelation in a consistently literal way, as literal is normally understood. G. K. Beale comments: Because the objects [John] sees and what he hears are seen and heard in a vision, they are not first to be understood literally but view [...]

Gary discusses a recent episode of The View on the Ten Commandments in schools. There are many who would say that the Bible has no business in the so-called secular realm. The Bible is useful for spiritual matters but not the substantive matters of civil government, law, economics, politics, and science. Times have changed and the Bible is an out-of-date book. So say many in our day. But the Chris [...]

The Ten Commandments are once again in the spotlight, stirring up debate among cultural commentators and political figures. You may remember the controversy when former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore installed a 2.5-ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Alabama. Moore said the following after its removal: “ [...]

Gary responds to two recent statements from Max Lucado and Michael Youssef regarding modern events as being a fulfillment of “end-times” predictions. The accomplishment of our Lord’s prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem, may likewise be considered as a standing monument to all future ages, of the truth of the observation of the wise man; that righteousness exalts a nation, but th [...]

The state of Louisiana has determined that the Ten Commandments (Decalogue/Ten Words: Ex. 34:28),[1] will be posted in Public School Classrooms. The usual and unusual subjects have voiced their opposition. First, the usual subjects, that is, “The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom fro [...]

Gary continues his talk on the Christian worldview. He discusses the concept of “borrowed capital” on today’s podcast. Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971), Premier of the former Soviet Union, described a time in the Communist republic’s history when a wave of petty theft was sweeping through the government-owned plants. To curtail the stealing, guards were placed at factory entrances t [...]

Gary discusses the Christian worldview, how we got where we are today, and how we get back to being world-changers on today’s podcast. Christians are not told to take up arms to defend or advance the Christian faith. We are engaged in a war of ideas. The biblical image of war is designed to remind us that defending the faith is serious business (Acts 7:54-60; 12:2). We should not shy away fr [...]

Father’s Day took an unexpected turn when a photo of Senator Chuck Schumer grilling a raw hamburger topped with a slice of cheese sparked a wave of reactions. To many, it was just an amusing snapshot of a public figure appearing out of his element in the culinary world. Sen. Schumer the Everyman. However, beneath the surface of this seemingly trivial incident lies a rich tapestry of biblical tradi [...]

Gary gives a quick history lesson to set the record straight about a recent Rolling Stone article about Chief Justice Alito. A misconception is held by many that the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence was the beginning of our nation. Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” (Nov. 19, 1863) contributes to the confusion with the opening line: “Four score and seven years ago our fa [...]

Gary discusses the concept of “church ages” and what the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 represent. A popular argument for a pre-tribulation rapture is the claim that while the “church” is mentioned 19 times in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, in chapters 4–18 “there is absolute silence.”[1] Similar to the way Hitchcock places a gap in time betwee [...]

Gary concludes his interview with Steve Deace about eschatology. Terms are defined, views are set forth, and questions are asked. The man of lawlessness was the principal religious leader of Israel—the high priest who officiated over Jewish law and did not concern himself with using the law in a God-honoring way (Matt. 26:57-68). All of the lawless deeds of those priests who sent Jesus to His deat [...]

When is a miracle not a miracle? Answer: When it is a sign. This is not simply an exercise in semantics; it is an important theological point. Our English Bibles often treat the two words as synonyms, but this is not at all accurate. The “miracles” that Jesus performed were not merely supernatural events to amaze first-century Jews, they were intended to point to Him as the fulfillment of all that [...]

Gary was recently interviewed by Steve Deace about Bible prophecy and eschatology. In this first part, Gary defines terms and gives a brief lesson on hermeneutics. The claim is made by those who teach the pre-tribulation rapture position that God cannot deal with Israel and the Church at the same time in the same way. The Church is said to be a new redemptive entity that was not prophesied in the [...]

It’s distressing to read posts and comments on Facebook about the power of Satan. When I question this preoccupation, I was told I didn’t believe the Bible. “What about the magicians in Pharaoh’s court? They produced bloody water and frogs.” Haven’t these people ever watched Penn and Teller? I’m no magician, but I can make a card float inches from you. I’m doing it here: It’s a trick. I’m using de [...]

Gary responds to a recent podcast critiquing aspects of his interpretation of Bible prophecy. Many believe that 2 Thessalonians 2 describes the end times leading up to the rapture of the church, the revealing of antichrist, and the second coming. Tim LaHaye, a representative of this perspective, writes: “Second Thessalonians 2:1-12 contains the rapture, Tribulation, and Glorious Appearing all in o [...]

Gary concludes his interview with Jonathan Sedlak about his new book, Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus. N.T. Wright explains what the disciples were actually asking in their question [in Matthew 24:3]: They had come to Jerusalem expecting Jesus to be enthroned as the rightful king. This would necessarily involve Jesus taking over the authority that the temple symbolized. They were now confronted wi [...]

In this first part of his interview with author Jonathan Sedlak, Gary introduces listeners to Jonathan and his new book, Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus. What we find spoken by Jesus in Matthew 24 was spoken about 40 years before the things came to pass which He prophesied, and Matthew wrote his book about 33 years before they happened. Matthew was the first of the four gospels, as claimed by Orig [...]

Can the gospel and social activism co-exist? Should Christians involve themselves in the world by participating in politics, pursue advanced degrees in education, medicine, science and law, produce films on a wide range of subjects, some even for entertainment value, seek a career in journalism, and develop non-governmental programs for long-term social reform based on a well thought out biblical [...]

Gary concludes his response to a recent sermon by Pastor Jack Hibbs tying Matthew 24 and Ezekiel 38-39 together and claiming the events are still to happen. Ezekiel writes that the forces gathered to fight against Israel are after silver, gold, cattle, and goods (Ezek. 38:12–13). The Jews who had returned to Jerusalem brought silver, gold, goods, and cattle with them (Ezra 1:4–11; 2:69; 5:14; 6:5; [...]