The timing and sequence of events in the last week of Jesus’ mortal life is very uncertain with nearly as many attempted chronologies as commentators. The one fixed time is the resurrection which occurred “on the first day of the week” before dawn (Lk 24:1; Mk 16:2-3); that is, early Sunday morning. But the day […]
What was the eye of a needle?
Jesus said “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:25. Also Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25.) He is using hyperbole — deliberate exaggeration to make his point. The eye of the needle is the tiny hole […]
Who was King Nebuchadnezzar’s son?
Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon from 605BC to 562BC. We know of two of his children: a son, Amel Marduk (known as Evil-Merodach in 2 Kings 25:27), and a daughter Nitocris. Amel-Marduk succeeded Nebuchadnezzar as king. According to Berossus (Jos Ap 1.20), Amel-Marduk was killed in a coup. His brother-in-law, Neriglissar (probably the same as Nergal-Sharezer […]
Was Ishmael the father of the Midian nation?
Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid (Genesis 16:15), and the Ishmaelites were his descendants. Midian was the fourth of the six sons of Abraham and his wife, Keturah (Genesis 25:2), and the Midianites descended from him. Ishmael was not the father of the Midianite nation, but the Ishmaelites and Midianites are […]
If Satan was not an angel, where did he come from?
‘Satan’ is a Hebrew word that means ‘adversary’ and in the Old Testament it is translated as adversary on 10 occasions, although on 16 other occasions it is left untranslated as Satan. There is not just one satan. Any adversary is a satan. In the account of Balaam and his ass in Numbers 22, we […]
Can tithes and offerings be paid in ways other than money?
Under the Law of Moses the Israelites were required to tithe the seed of the land, the fruit of the trees, and herds and flocks (Leviticus 27:30,32). It was permitted to contribute money instead (Lev 27:31). Jesus refers to the practice of tithing by the Jews in Luke 11:42 where he mentions the tithing of […]
Will the rapture happen before the new world order is in effect?
“Rapture” The term ‘rapture’ does not occur in the Bible, but it is used to refer to a time when, so it is suggested, the faithful will be taken from their normal environment and drawn up into the clouds to meet the Lord, leaving behind a trail of confusion. Some suggest that they will be […]
Are there any references in the Bible to global warming?
The words that speak most strongly about a fiery future, such as the lake of fire of Revelation 20:14, are symbolic of the destruction that will occur at the future time of Judgment. However, 2 Peter 3:10-13, speaking of the time when Jesus Christ returns to the earth, says, But the day of the Lord will […]
Is Revelation 22:18-19 saying that someone who changed God’s Word would lose their salvation?
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and […]
Cain is not mentioned in the genealogy of Adam – Why?
The genealogy of Cain is given briefly in Genesis 4:17-24. However, this was not the line that led from Adam to Noah, and all other lines of descendants were destroyed in the flood – including Cain’s descendants. The genealogy of Adam goes through his son Seth to Noah (Genesis 5:3-32) and this is the part […]