WILL YOU SHARE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION? John saw a day when all those who share in the “first resurrection” would serve as priests of God and reign with Christ for a thousand years, a millennium. What is this “first resurrection” and who are those who share in it? The first resurrection began with
HAVE YOU LOOKED ON HIM WHOM YOU HAVE PIERCED? The prophet Zechariah wrote around 520 BC. This was 500 years before Christ and 2500 years before the present age. His little book is filled with Messianic prophecies. Here, we see a Messianic reference to “an only son,” a “firstborn” who the people of Israel would
THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER Zechariah’s prophecy concerning the thirty pieces of silver was written around 500 years before Christ. In the prophecy, the Lord called Zechariah to shepherd the suffering flock of Judah and Israel, and he obeyed. He cared for the flock and removed the evil and worthless shepherds who had formerly been
GOD DOES NOT HAVE GRANDCHILDREN Each generation must respond to the gospel for themselves in order to believe and become children of God. The faith must be passed on like a baton in a relay race. The Israelites who took possession of the Promised Land were faithful, but they neglected the command to pass their
MAY THE JOY OF THE LORD BE YOURS THIS CHRISTMAS! David concluded this psalm saying, “Joyful are those who live like this!” But what condition was he describing? Surely he was describing the life of those whose God is the Lord and therefore live under His blessing. David listed five blessings that he sought from
SINGING OF REDEMPTION ON CHRISTMAS EVE The Apostle John saw a gathering of believers in heaven who had been faithful to the Lord, enduring the persecution of the Beast during the tribulation, without worshiping his image nor taking his mark. John heard them singing a song, which he recognized as the song of Moses and
ARE YOU FAITHFUL IN THE SMALL THINGS? Zerubbabel was born in Babylon. As a descendent of King David, he was in line for Judah’s throne, but he and his people had been conquered and exiled by the former Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzer. After the Persian King Cyrus conquered Babylon, he showed favor to the Jews. He
IS YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK OF LIFE? John’s prophecy tells of a figure that will recover from a “mortal wound” (Rev. 13:3), that will unite the world in worshiping him. This individual is called the Beast or the Antichrist. He is a counterfeit christ empowered by Satan to deceive the world during the last
THE CHRISTMAS VERSE NEVER SEEN ON A CARD I’ve never seen Revelation 12:5 quoted on a Christmas card, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be. When the apostle John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord pulled back the curtain between heaven and earth and invited old John to see things from a
THE TRANSMISSION OF HOLINESS The prophet Haggai asked the Jewish priests two questions concerning the transmission of holiness and impurity. They were experts on such things, so they answered correctly according to the Mosaic Law. Haggai clearly knew the answers to his two questions before he asked, for he was quick to apply the principles