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The Coming of Jesus: Coming on the clouds

...when the Jewish War was happening and the Temple destroyed. Which is what Jesus used as the focal point in his reference to his 'coming'. You can't use a quote written prior to 70AD to proof text Jesus not coming yet, though that is what often happens. It's like someone in 1938 quoting H.G. Wells saying in 1914 that WWI will be the "War to end all Wars" when history quite clearly shows the opposite. So to conclude, there's nothing in what Jesus says to suggest anything other than a reference to judgement by God on Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, using the symbolic language of the prophets to make his point, that what was to comes was going to be God's j...

The Coming of Jesus: Daniel's 70 Weeks

...Daniel's 70 Weeks   To fully understand Jesus's first, and indeed what is commonly called his "Second Coming," we need to understand the book of Daniel. This prophetic books give many details and glimpses into the future about coming kingdoms, rulers and above all, the Messiah. I'm going to be focussing on just one part of the book, chapter nine, often referred to as "Daniel's 70 Weeks". But just what is "Daniel's 70 Weeks" you might be asking as you read this. For those unfamiliar with Old Testament prophecy, it is a prophetic vision that Daniel was given from God, and interpreted by the angel Gabriel. You can read the prophecy in fu...

Debunking the Crusades: 5 Myths You Probably Believe

...The Crusades have long been a topic distorted by myth, legend, and misconception, especially in modern pop culture and film. Movies and television often portray the Crusaders as either valiant knights on holy missions or brutal barbarians bent on conquest, feeding into a skewed image of the events. These simplistic portrayals fail to capture the complex motivations and historical realities of the Crusades. The Guardian article about the Reconciliation Walk One striking example of how these misunderstandings have influenced modern perceptions was the so-called Reconciliation Walk in 1999, marking the 900th anniversary of the First Crusade. Hundreds of Chris...

Lent: Day 15 - Justin Martyr: First Apology, Chaps. 36-47

...Day Fifteen: St. Justin Martyr: First Apology, Chaps. 36-47 Who: Justin Martyr was a Philosopher who converted to Christianity and became a tireless evangelist and apologist. Justin wrote more Christianity than any other person prior to his time. He is classified herein as Eastern, since he a native of Samaria and his thought patterns were Eastern. However, he spent the last years of his life in Rome, where he was executed as a martyr (c. 165). What: An apologetic (defence) essay to explain what Christians believe and do. Why: Justin is demanding the Emperor to investigate accusations and unjust persecution against Christians so that they at least may face...

It's no longer about land!

...As I've been thinking more about the Israel situation, and reading and hearing the responses and debates on my last article, and the issue in general, it seems to me that people can't help but get stuck in the mindset of a geo-political debate. Yes, there's a place called "Israel" in the middle-east, and yes there's a War going on which is terrible for all involved — but from a New Testament Christian perspective, that shouldn't be our focus when it comes to thinking about the true Israel! This is what it's about!   If you want to "support Israel" because you believe they are in the right or have 'just cause', then fine – just don't cal...

Palm Sunday and the End Times

...the Roman-Jewish War of AD 66-70 to bring that judgement on the “delegation” that didn’t want him to be king (Luke 19:14) — e.g. pharisaical Judaism; the Jews who rejected Jesus. The temple was abandoned by God and the Romans trampled it, as predicted: Luke 21:24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. We can see how this played out in the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, who reported what happened in Jerusalem and at the temple during the Roman-Jewish War. Moreover, at the feast which is ca...