John Webster (1610–1682), writing in 1654, stated, “But if man gave his assent unto, or believed the things of Christ … because they appear probable … to his reason, then would his faith be … upon the rotten basis of human authority.” When the full-orbed biblical worldview is given up for some claim to neutrality and unaided reason, the center collapses and the edifice falls i [...]
What identifies a premillennialist — classical and dispensational — is that the Jews that survive the Great Tribulation will reign with Jesus from Jerusalem during the thousand years of Revelation 20. This is the definition, and yet, Revelation 20 does not say anything about the Jews reigning on earth with Jesus from Jerusalem in what is described as a millennial paradise. Once again, we have a do [...]
In 2007, John MacArthur delivered “Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is a Premillennialist” at the March 2007 Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church. The premise of MacArthur’s talk was based on the everlasting covenant with Israel. MacArthur, who believes in “sovereign election” as it relates to individual salvation, is surprised that many of his sovereign grace colleagues who are amil [...]
As happens at least once a week, I get involved in a discussion concerning eschatology. What’s happening in Afghanistan and the push for a global reset is bringing out the prophecy pundits. The following comment caught my attention: Do you also blame the Roman empire on the present-day rush towards globalism, a global digital currency, and a global government? how does Nero factor into what [...]
It is horrible to see the collapse of Afghanistan and thousands trying to flee the country before the Islamists take complete control there. What motivates the Taliban who once again are violently asserting power in that country? What makes the Taliban tick? There’s no mystery here. In some ways, it’s the same impulse at work in our world for the last 1400 years, ever since the hordes of Mohammed, [...]
After 20 years of American involvement in Afghanistan, with trillions of dollars spent on preparing the Afghan people for self-government under a constitutionally formed government, it was all lost in less than a week. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called the “lack of resistance” on the part of the Afghan army that America trained for 20 years “extremely disconcerting,” according to CNN. “They ha [...]
What does it mean to “throw the elephant”? A person responds to an argument by dumping loads of seemingly relevant information on it, calls the dump a “refutation,” and declares himself to be the winner, all the while hoping his opponent won’t notice how faulty much of the information is. The internet has made throwing the elephant a favorite tactic of anti-Christian bigots. It used to be that a r [...]
With COVID-19, mask mandates, compulsory vaccinations, some are speculating that we could be entering the era of the Mark of the Beast and the (always) “rapture of the church.” Revelation 13 is not about vaccinations. For those who claim to interpret the Bible literally, we would be seeing the number 666 everywhere. I’d be willing to wager that there are some prophecy pundits right now who are try [...]
Simone Biles has made her views known on killing unborn babies, what euphemistically is called being “pro-choice.” She asked her Instagram followers to share “unpopular” opinions. Some brave soul responded with the opinion that “abortion is wrong,” and Biles responded. The following is from The Christian Post “I already know this is going to start the biggest argument & may even lose followers [...]
Note by Gary DeMar: My grandparents immigrated to the United States early in the 20th century. When my father was born in 1918, my grandfather was not a United States citizen. My grandparents on my father and mother’s side followed the law regarding immigration. They had to be screened for possible contagious diseases. There’s a scene in The Godfather Part II (1974) where the fictional young Vito [...]
Many science fiction films breed optimism. They lay out what’s possible. Technology is good if used for the right reasons. There is generally a theme of good and evil. Some older sci-fi films dealt with technology gone wrong like in The Fly or Them. Others have a moral bent to them as in The 27th Day based on the novel by John Mantley. Films trying to depict the signs of the times are said to be f [...]
Some Christians are asking when is it right to fight against the existing civil power structure. Consider the following: The new George Washington University poll conducted by YouGov between June 4 and June 23 [2021] asked 1,753 registered voters if a time will come when “patriotic Americans have to take the law into their own hands.” The poll found that 47% of Republicans agreed that there would [...]
My wife and I watched a video of a white police officer who stopped a black man for driving “under the speed limit” that took place in February 2020. Ace Perry had the good sense to turn on his camera phone to record the injustice. You must watch this: The officer is an idiot and should be fired. Driving five miles per hour under the speed limit? There is no such traffic violation. [...]
For years, prominent Christians have been critical of applying Old Testament law to the New Testament era even though Jesus (Mark 7:1–9) and the Apostle did (Rom. 13:8–10; 1 Cor 5:1–2; 9:9; 1 Tim. 1:6–10; 5:18). It’s not always clear how the OT law might apply in the New Testament, but there is no justification to say that NT writers don’t often apply it (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Charles Colson, who serve [...]
Virtually every day we see examples of men and women who are out of control in modern society. And they are making life miserable for many. For example, 51 people were shot in Chicago this last weekend—eight of them fatally. This is so common we almost grow callous to the news. People lack self-control. The Bible talks about the traits of a godly person who draws close to Christ and develops over [...]
I’ve been working on the topic of Civil Disobedience for a talk I’m giving at a conference in LaGrange, Georgia, on October 1. There are too many Christians who believe they can win a shooting war with the United States government. Pres. Biden was right. To take on our government, we would need “F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.” This was a terrible thing to say. It gives the impression that P [...]
“As we continue to see an uptick in anti-Muslim hate, it is important we recognize the resiliency and accomplishments of Muslim Americans with a formal resolution,” Rep. Ilhan Omar claimed. Reps. Omar and Rashida Tlaib, and other leftists want to designate July as Muslim American Heritage Month. President Obama claimed that “Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country since its founding.” [...]
In my previous article (“A Seismic Shift in Eschatology Has Begun”), the letter writer begs the question by assuming dispensationalism is true, biblically foundational, and has a long and respected historical pedigree. He doesn’t argue for these positions; he simply states them as fundamental, self-evident truths. His arguments, such as they are, are similar to those used by evolutionists, global [...]
Similar to the way there is a fundamental shift taking place in the realm of theology by a reconsideration of Calvinism,[1] a seismic shift is taking place in eschatology. Eschatology is the study of the “last things.” The more popular terminology is “Bible prophecy.” There are numerous schools of thought on the subject. The most popular version—dispensational premillennialism—teaches that certain [...]
Watch out whenever a politician says, “I’m a devout Catholic, but…” Whatever follows the “but” shows where their true allegiance lies. So it is with President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who are out of step with their Church’s teaching. Both have expressed a desire to see abortion rights extended, even up to the moment of birth—which is infanticide. Now they even want to repeal the H [...]
