One of the arguments against the preterist (past) interpretation of the Olivet Discourse and the use of the second person plural “you” is an appeal to Matthew 23:35: “And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” The claim is made that Jesus’ use of “ [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 76 Gary discusses Jesus’ statement in Matthew 23:35 about Zechariah, son of Berechiah. There is no record of the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 1:1) being murdered. Berechiah, like Zechariah, is a common name in the Bible (1 Chron. 3:20; 6:39; 9:16; 15:17; 15:23; 2 Chron. 28:12; Neh. 3:4, 30). Jesus says that it was this Zechariah who was murdered by som [...]
I love the monthly news magazine World. You can thank David Chilton for contributing to its existence. He used his influence to help launch World with editor Joel Belz and wrote a monthly column for the publication for years. You should subscribe. You can do it here. Gary North wrote the following in his article “David Chilton Made the Case for Long-Run Christian Optimism.” “From the very beginnin [...]
Gary continues his discussion with Bob Cruickshank about the biblical usage of the word “antichrist.” (Click here for Part One.) You will not find the word antichrist in the book of Revelation. This is significant since the John who defines antichrist for us in his first two letters is the same John who penned the book of Revelation. Second, according to the Bible antichrist is not a s [...]
Gary interviews his friend Bob Cruickshank about a few recent articles he has written about the “antichrist.” The word “antichrist” appears only in John’s epistles (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7). John’s description of antichrist is altogether different from the modern image. John’s antichrist is • Anyone “who denies that Jesus is the Christ” (1 John 2:22). • Anyone who “denies the Fa [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 75 Gary interviews Ed Stevens about the 1993 Covenant Eschatology Symposium that was held in Florida. 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 unanimous agreement among scholars on [...]
In January of 1993, the Covenant Eschatology Symposium was held in Mt. Dora, Florida. It was hosted by R.C. Sproul. I would like to thank Ed Stevens for providing materials about the Conference and for being a guest on an upcoming episode of American Vision’s podcast, which will be posted soon at AmericanVision.org. We also discussed David Chilton’s move to full preterism. Those in attendance disc [...]
Gary and Kim Burgess return to the conversation of 1 Corinthians 15 by discussing parallel passages in 2 Corinthians. GARY: When one studies Shakespeare, for example, one has got to go back to Shakespeare’s time to understand Shakespeare properly, but, somehow, odd as it is, when it comes to the Bible, it is more or less treated like a magic book for many people; a book somehow immune from these s [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 74 Gary discusses recent claims about current events being some of the “signs” from the book of Revelation. In terms of what the Bible teaches, the future of Israel is wrapped up in the future of the nations that has nothing to do with the physical land of Israel. We see this truth emphasized at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry: Thus, it is [...]
Gary kicks off 2026 with a reminder that last days craziness and doomsday predictions of the end have been going on for a very long time. In our day, prophetic speculators are misleading millions of people with their supposed certainties about the next series of events they believe are signs that Jesus is about to return to “rapture” His church. For example, in 1988 John F. Walvoord wrote that “in [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 72 Gary responds to a dispensationalist pastor who takes issue with something said by John Rich on a recent podcast with Tucker Carlson. Dispensationalists will point to Jeremiah 31:35-37 as prime evidence that there is a holdout for the future fulfillment of a national establishment of Israel. “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day And [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 71 Like many in Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth, Christians today are looking for a political savior to rescue them and break the chains of tyranny. It is important to recognize that the Gospels tell of many people looking for the Messiah. How did they have precise timing for when to look? Based on the 490 years of Daniel 9 coming to an end they knew [...]
Frequently, around Christmas time, we are treated to yet another (often just a repeat of previous “findings”) naturalistic explanation of the biblical “Star of Bethlehem.” Natural explanations of biblical phenomena can sometimes have their place, but they can also be diversions—for unbelievers and believers alike. A far better approach for believers is to know and receive the deep, rich biblical m [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 70 Gary responds to a clip from a prophecy pundit on Facebook claiming that the Statue of Liberty is found in the book of Revelation. Aren’t we seeing prophecy being fulfilled right before our eyes? This protest is offered when people are hit with an interpretation that does not fit their long-held doctrinal views. They shift from the clear teaching of S [...]
Gary welcomes Kim Burgess back to answer a listener’s question about 1 Corinthians 15:24–28. My thesis in this series is that OT Israel was Yahweh’s chosen means to bring salvation to the Gentile nations of the world. Not understanding this principle gets us off track. People think that eschatology, because of the influence of the historic creeds of the Church and of the various systematic t [...]
This is a continuation of this article from last week. It is an excerpt from American Vision’s new book, The Greatest and the Least: A Biblical Theology of John the Baptist, by Eric Rauch and Zach Davis. Signs and Visions There were also several other visions given during this time. The first is when Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus to the temple to “offer a sacrifice according to the law” (Lu [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 69 Gary discusses another “key” prophetic sign that many say is happening in our present day. There is not a single verse in the New Testament that supports the claim that there is prophetic significance in Israel’s restoration as a nation. Beyond A.D. 70, Israel as a nation plays no prophetic role. The New Testament only addresses Israel’s n [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 68 Reading the Bible is more than just understanding the words on the page. The first place to start in learning how to interpret prophecy is to learn how to interpret the Bible, because the Bible is the best interpreter of itself. This statement seems so obvious, and yet many people fail to follow it. When the subject of prophecy comes up, some eager pr [...]
Gary and Kim Burgess conclude their discussion of 1 Corinthians 15. Paul still fully expected to be alive in his earthly body at the parousia of Christ as based on the direct warrant of Christ Himself in texts like Matthew 10:23, 16:27-28, and 24:34. This is precisely why Paul deliberately used “we” language in both 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15. For this we say to you by the word of the [...]
Gary comments on an article that claims the current “replacement theology” affecting the Church is replacing Christ with Israel. If Israel is the fig tree in Matthew 24:32, then Israel is the fig tree in 21:18–20 where Jesus says, “‘No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.’ And at once the fig tree withered.” The fig tree of Matthew 24 was a leaves-only tree. There was no frui [...]
