Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 65 Gary shares his takeaways and summary of the recent discussion/debate he had with Douglas Wilson in Moscow, Idaho. What verse goes with the Nicene Creed’s “He shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead”? Where in the NT does it say Jesus will “come again”? Of course, based on Matthew 16:27, Jesus [...]
During our discussion about eschatology, the topic of animal death and resurrection came up. Doug Wilson believes there was “entropy” before the fall. This would include death. He stated the following in his article “Full Preterism and the Death Problem.” What was the nature of perfection in the Garden of Eden? What did an unfallen world look like? Too many Christians have the idea that a world wi [...]
In a conference talk recorded years ago, Gary discusses the Battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39. Most interpreters have tried to find the fulfillment in events of their day using current events as the interpretive grid. For example, in the fourth and fifth centuries, Gog was thought to refer to the Goths and Moors. In the seventh century, it was the Huns. By the eighth century, the Islamic em [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 64 Gary gives his “state of the union” of current teachings about Bible prophecy coming from non-Dispensational critics. Debates continue over which biblical passages refer to the AD 70 judgment coming of Jesus and those that refer to what is commonly called the yet Second Coming of Jesus. As I have repeatedly pointed out, there is no unanimo [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 63 Gary continues his discussion of Matthew 23-25 with Darren Doane. Matthew 24:33 tells us what audience Jesus had in view: “so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” It’s obvious, and without any need for debate, that the first “you” refers to those who asked the questions that led to Jesus’ extended rem [...]
Gary discusses the upcoming event with Doug Wilson as well as some of the critics voicing their opposition to it. My first foray into the topic of eschatology was not a directed attempt to answer dispensationalism. When I was hired by American Vision in 1981, I concentrated on worldview issues with the first volume of God and Government that was published in 1982. I would often lecture on the subj [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 62 Gary explains why he spends so much time writing and talking about Bible prophecy—it’s a worldview issue. Soon after graduating college in 1973, I began to delve into the complexities of Bible prophecy once again. By this time I was no longer the biblically ignorant convert. Bible study had become a daily affair. While I was certainly far from b [...]
The advertising phrase “Takes a Licking but Keeps on Ticking” can be traced back to the 1950s when Timex Corporation introduced its famous watch commercial featuring John Cameron Swayze. In the commercial, Swayze subjected the watch to various tests, such as being dropped from heights or submerged in water. Despite these challenges, the watch continued to work. Check out these magazine ads. “Unusu [...]
Someone on Facebook wrote, “Why a Literal Historical-Grammatical Interpretation of Scripture Matters. When it comes to understanding the Bible, a literal historical-grammatical approach—taking the text at its plain meaning within its historical and literary context—is crucial.” I agree. I find it ironic that many who advocate the LGH model are selective in how it’s applied. The following is from d [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 61 Gary concludes his response to Amir Tsarfati about Israel being saved and God’s promises to them. Amir Tsarfati responded to a short video that Kirk Cameron created in response to Ted Cruz’s comments about our nation’s obligation to Israel in an interview Sen. Ted Cruz had with Tucker Carlson. To say the least, it was contentious. That’s OK. Let [...]
While cleaning up my office, I came across a cassette tape of a sermon preached by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel on December 31, 1979. He told his very accepting audience that the rapture would take place in 1981. Russia was about to invade Israel. The former Soviet Republic had gone into Afghanistan. Smith said that it was the prelude to a full-force invasion of the Middle East. Russia is now bog [...]
Gary points out how much disagreement and confusion exists in popular media and Christian pastors about the future of Israel. The whole nation of Israel never was and never will be elected. It’s only the remnant that will be saved: “Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, ‘THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED’” (Rom. 9:27). [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 60 Gary continues his response to Amir Tsarfati, who tried to take Kirk Cameron to task for comments he made about Israel. The restoration of Israel involved a transformation or change in the form that Israel was to take under the coming New Covenant order. In Episode 7, we looked at passages like Isaiah 49:5-6, Acts 15:16-17, and Romans 15:8-13 where th [...]
Facebook and YouTube are filled with amateur prophecy pundits who are out of touch with failed prophecy claims going back many centuries. It worsened with the advent of dispensational premillennialism and its various incarnations. Even so, it’s hard for many Christians to reason outside the dispensational bubble. It’s all they’ve heard or known. The dispensational bubble is their protective home. [...]
Gary is interviewed by Rick Welch about the 3Q Controversy and how his podcast played a role in it. I’m not ashamed to admit that most of my work is “borrowed” from what many people have researched and published over the centuries. What follows will show that not everyone agrees with the interpretation that Matthew 16:27 refers to a future physical coming of Jesus. To prove this point, I suggest y [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 59 Gary responds to a recent video by Amir Tsarfati in response to something posted by Kirk Cameron. It’s obvious from the Bible that God is not going to restore every “physical seed of Abraham.” If God were going to do that, then why bother with the gospel? Paul does not mean by “in this way all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26) that every Jew without [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 58 Many Christians are claiming that the assassination of Charlie Kirk is yet another sign that the “last days” are upon us. We have heard all of this before. In fact, in 1988, we were assured that the rapture would occur sometime in a three-day period in September of that year. “But by sunset Tuesday [September 13, 1988], the end of the 48-h [...]
Please help us reach $10K in donations for a matching grant Gary answers a listener question about Bible prophecy. If the purpose of Revelation was to demonstrate that the events of the book were a prophetic certainty that could occur at any time, John could have been told to write, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His bond-servants the things which must take place.” Thi [...]
Please help us reach $10K in donations for a matching grant Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 56 Gary discusses general interpretative principles about the Bible and specifically, the book of Revelation. The view of prophecy that is most popular today is dispensational premillennialism, the belief that the Bible is split up into a variety of “dispensations” and that most prophetic passag [...]
Please help us reach $10K in donations for a matching grant Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 55 Gary discusses the myth of “replacement theology.” Anyone who is familiar with the Bible knows Christianity does not “supersede Judaism.” The genealogies found in Matthew and Luke clearly show that Jesus is “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). The first New Covenant [...]
