Revelation 19 begins with the fall of Babylon. Babylon has rich, symbolic significance throughout scripture. It is the first kingdom mentioned in the Bible (Gen. 10:10). Babylon was the site where human government, culture, and religion united in their own way, apart from God (Gen. 11:1-9). In Revelation, John sees Babylon as a “notorious…
Tag: prophecy
The Book of the Wretched Sins of Mankind (and Especially Yours)
“[T]he heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezek. 1:1). Ezekiel does not begin with man’s sin but with God. Sin is not the center of the universe, God’s thoughts, or His eternal plan. Unfortunately, in the way we often think about the Lord, sin usurps the place that belongs to God’s glory. …
The Fullness of Every Message
When it comes to the Bible, I am passionate about one thing above all others—seeing Christ in every scripture (Luke 24:44-46). While I acknowledge other messages in scripture, Christ is the fullness of every other message. We must see that Christ is the end of old covenant laws. He is the substance of the commandments…
Little Dr. Christiansteins
“You bring stolen, lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?” asks the Lord. (Malachi 1:13). This verse addresses the Levites. The Levites were the priests of Israel, the keepers and teachers of God’s law. They knew that sacrificing a defective animal violated the law (Lev. 1:3, 10)….
The Temple of the Son
Near the end of Ezekiel, the prophet has a vision of God’s glory returning to a restored temple (Ezek. 43:5). He has no vision of the temple being built; it is already built–without hands. As the temple’s design is unfolded to Ezekiel, he sees that the altar lies at the center of the temple. The…
The Cross and the Departure of Glory
A deep sense of grief permeates Ezekiel’s account of the temple’s destruction. The loss felt by the Lord is poignantly expressed when He says, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain” (Ezek. 9:7). Defile the temple? Defile the place chosen out of all creation as a dwelling for God? Why should the…
A Boy, His Dad, the Rescue Bots, and Psalm 63
Photo of the TBS Westminster Reference Bible My three year old son is my buddy. When I’m home it’s cars, Rescue Bots, wrestling, you name it. He never wants to stop playing. One of the many blessings in my life is that I am home for lunch every day. My office is that close. As…
This Is What Is Written (Part 2)
Picture taken at Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum Please read Part 1 before continuing…. We have been saying that the full meaning of scripture is found in Christ. Yet this doesn’t abolish historical or literal meanings. For example: Isaiah saw the Lord “seated on a throne,” and prophesied that the Israelites would be “ever hearing,…
The Jesus Pictures: Guest Post by Cameron Fultz
Recently, a friend lent me a book entitled The Jesus Pictures by Cameron Fultz. In the book, Cameron outlines a Christ-saturated approach to the scriptures that is taught by the scriptures themselves (Luke 24:45-47; John 5:39-40). I feel this is deeply important. What follows here is material I’ve excerpted from chapter one of Cameron’s book (with his…