Revelation 12 is part of a broader context that extends to chapter 13. For a fuller explanation of the context, please read this article: War in HeavenFollowing is a brief verse-by-verse explanation of the first six verses of chapter 12:Revelation 12:1: And there appeared [...]
The Prosperity Gospel is a teaching that is in contrast with the true Gospel of Jesus Christ based on its focus on earthly gain and personal desire. It is fundamentally characterized by its emphasis on material and physical blessings in the present life as [...]
The statement from 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world," instructs Christians to exercise discernment regarding the influences they encounter.For more [...]
The Book of Acts is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. Luke ends the Gospel of Luke and starts the book of Acts with the conversation Jesus and the disciples had on the walk to Bethany (Mount of Olives). Luke finishes Acts with [...]
To understand the book of Revelation, it is important to compare it with the Book of Daniel. Taken together, the symbolism comes to life.Daniel shows us that empires, or civil powers, are pictured as beasts. Daniel 7:17, “These great beasts, which are four, are [...]
There has always been one main criteria for those who seek membership in Christ’s church after being called by God – to love God with all one’s mind and heart and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-40). Those who truly understand this [...]
There are only three instances where speaking in tongues is recorded in the New Testament - Acts 2:1-11, 10:38-48 and 19:1-8. In each instance, those who spoke were apostles who had been given the gift of the holy spirit, done for very specific purposes [...]
The phrase “bottomless pit” is found seven times in the Bible, all in the book of Revelation. Revelation is a highly symbolic text. Over the centuries, much confusion has arisen from taking its writings literally. The “bottomless pit,” for example, is not a literal [...]
1 Corinthians 3:6-7: (NASB) 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.The brethren In the Corinthian church had a lot [...]
There are many wonderful details in Revelation chapter 12 that are worthy of deeper study. But briefly, the chapter traces the history of Christians down through the age. The woman described in verse 1 is the early church after the death of Jesus. The red dragon [...]
We quote from a sermon by Robert Bennett called "Seven Churches:"In the first three chapters of Revelation, there are seven churches named after seven cities in Asia Minor, “seven” being a symbol of completeness. A list of those seven churches is given in Revelation 1:11.We [...]
In John 7:16, 17 we read, “Jesus answered them, and said, ‘My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.’” Jesus felt [...]
It is a challenge to determine who the first Christian might be.One might say the first Christians were those who first followed Jesus. John 1:36-51 lists a number of men who later became apostles: Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. But there were different [...]
In Matthew 23:1-30, Jesus warns his disciples to avoid the love of worldly pride and prestige that were enjoyed by the religious leadership of the time. In his words, Jesus emphasizes the importance of recognizing God alone as the supreme authority of all things. [...]
There are not seven sealed books in Revelation. There is one book, or rather a scroll, with seven seals on it. That scroll first appears in chapter 5: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written [...]
The question assumes that the various denominations comprise the body of Christ. They do not. The body of Christ is being developed in this present age on an individual basis. The Apostle Paul said this. “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not [...]
The tradition that the Roman Catholic Church is the true church established by Jesus Christ is based on the following scripture, which we will need to examine in order to come to the correct conclusion.Matthew 16:15-19 (GNB)"What about you?" he asked them. "Who do you [...]
The seven churches in Revelation are a chronological prophecy of what will happen in Christianity (both true and nominal) after Jesus’ departure through His second advent. The church in Smyrna is the second church. It covers a period of severe persecution of true Christians [...]
Summary: The “falling away” has historically occurred. Discussion: In this scripture, the Greek word for “falling away” is apostasia meaning apostasy. It is referring to leaving Bible truths. The falling away started to occur even when the apostles were alive. Some Christians believed they [...]
The foundation of the great abomination of desolation rests in the doctrine of the mass. The mass substitutes human performances (that of priests) in place of the great sacrifice of Calvary, for the cleansing away of sin. Jesus’ sacrifice was “once for all,” Romans 6:10. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just [...]
