When Revelation 21:23 says that the glory of God will illuminate the New Jerusalem it is probably speaking figuratively, in the same way that God is said to be “its temple” in the previous verse. These verses are talking about a change in the order of things. Whereas previously worship was organised around temples, and […]
What happens to the Earth when the Sun becomes a red giant and it causes the Earth to heat up too much?
According to standard scientific predictions, the Sun will become a red giant in about 5 billion years. When that happens life on Earth would be impossible — in fact, as a red giant the Sun would expand to large than the Earth’s current orbit, so there would be no Earth. The Bible, of course, says […]
What does Revelation 21:1 mean when it says “the first Earth had passed away”?
Here Revelation alludes to the prophecies of Isaiah, where God says “I create new heavens and a new earth” (Is 65.17) and “the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me” (Is 66:22). It is possible that in these chapters Isaiah is speaking figuratively of a spiritual renewal. In […]
In 1 Kings 8, how was Soloman’s prayer heard by so large a crowd?
In 1 Kings 8:22 Solomon prays before “all the congregation of Israel”. If we were to take this phrase literally, we might imagine Solomon straining to be heard by hundreds of thousands of people. In fact, the composition of this congregation is carefully explained in v1: it was made up of the elders of Israel and […]
Are Paul’s writings guidelines for the times or commands for us today?
Paul’s writings were instructions/guidelines/commands for the times and for now. We know from 2 Tim 3:16-17 that All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. Paul’s writings are Scripture, therefore […]
Is there anywhere in the Bible where speaking in tongues is not just speaking a human language?
Speaking in tongues is mentioned in several passages in the New Testament: Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-13; 10:44-46; 19:6; 1 Cor 12-14. It is important to understand that the Greek word for “tongue” was the same word used for “language”, so “speaking in tongues” means “speaking in languages”. Most of the incidents in the New Testament […]
What happens if Jesus returns before I am baptised but I am on the path to getting baptised?
The simple answer is we don’t know. Consider this verse from Mark 16:16: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” It is clear what will happen to those who believe and are baptised. It is also clear what will happen to those who don’t believe, whether […]
Who is an apostle? Is Paul an apostle?
The word apostle (Greek: apostolos) derives from the verb “to send” (Greek: apostello). It carries the sense of someone being sent for a purpose, and is probably used in the New Testament to refer to those sent by God for a specific purpose. Those called “apostle” includes the Twelve (Mark 6:30), James the brother of […]
Where did Jairus live?
We can not be certain where Jairus lived. In Luke 7:1, Jesus enters Capernaum, and the next day he goes to Nain (v11). Later on in Luke 8:22 he crosses the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gadarenes (v26) and then later “returned”, which is where he meets Jairus (v40-41). So it is […]
If God said two people were not meant to be together, can prayer and a change in how you live change his mind?
You may be approaching this issue from the wrong angle. If you sincerely believe that God has directed these two people not to be together, then why would you want to change his mind? Surely God knows what is best for these two people. It may be worth asking why you feel God is directing […]