End-Time Insights

Jesus is the key that unlocks the book of Revelation and the prophetic texts from the Hebrew scriptures .  Jesus plays the central role in unfolding the plans and mysteries of God, and only he is qualified to reveal the nature of Yahweh. In him, all the promises of God find their “ yea ” and “ amen .” He is  the interpretive key  that unlocks the Hebrew scriptures and provides the correct understanding of prophecy, and this is especially so in the book of  Revelation  - [ Photo by  Kelly Sikkema  on Unsplash ].

The fullness and grace of God are found only in the “Word made Flesh,” Jesus of Nazareth  –  John 1:14-18 .  John’s prologue to his gospel introduces its key themes -  Life ,  Light ,  Witness ,  Truth , and  Grace .  Jesus is the  Light of the world , the source of  Grace and Truth , the  True Tabernacle , the  only-born Son of God , and the only one who has  seen the Father .  The prologue concludes by declaring that he is the only one who is qualified to  interpret  the unseen God - [ Photo by  Timothy Eberly  on Unsplash ]. The prologue concludes with a significant contrast -  Jesus interprets the Father,  NOT Moses . The purpose is to present Jesus, the “ word made flesh ,” as the one who reveals God and makes Him known (“ He is in the bosom of the Father, he declared him ”). ( John 1:14-18 ) – “ And the Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us, and we gazed upon his glory, glory as an only-born from his Father,  full of grace and truth … Because from his fullness we all re

Alfons Morales  on  Unsplash (From the Introduction section of The Emphasised Bible, A New Translation , by Joseph Bryant Rotherham, Published 1902, London { Public Domain }). CHAPTER IV. THE INCOMMUNICABLE NAME. As it might appear premature, at the outset of this chapter, to spell out that Divine Name which some regard as not only incommunicable but unpronounceable, it will be considerate to begin the present investigations by the aid of circumlocution and abbreviation, especially as no inconvenience will be occasioned thereby. The Tetragrammaton , or name of four letters (in allusion to the four letters Y H W H), is a technical term frequently employed by scholars, and will here, for a little, serve a useful purpose. Besides employing this term, we can reverently speak of “The Name,” or can set down the first letter only, “Y,” in the same way as critics are wont to use the Hebrew letter yod as the intitial of the Divine Name intended. This understood, we can intelligibl

Paul anchored all that God has done in the past Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which inaugurated the messianic age  –  Galatians 1:1-5 .  In  Galatians , Paul declared that his apostleship came from the same God who raised Jesus from the dead, the one who gave his life to “ deliver us from this evil age .” This anticipated the defense of his apostolic calling and his disagreement with certain Jewish believers who were operating  as if the old era was still in effect  - [ Photo by  Zetong Li  on  Unsplash ].

The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost fulfilled what the feast symbolized  -  Acts 2:1-4 .  In the book of  Acts , the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost stresses the theme of  fulfillment . That day, the things foreshadowed by the ancient feast began to receive their substance. The bestowal of the Spirit was an epochal event that marked the start of the messianic age, and the gift of the Spirit  fulfilled  what the Levitical feast symbolized - [ Wheat Harvest photo by  meriç tuna  on Unsplash ].

The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost signaled the arrival of the “last days,” just as prophesied by Joel  –  Acts 2:17-21 .  The application of Joel’s prophecy in  Acts  links the gift of the Spirit to the onset of the final era - the age of fulfillment - which began with the ascension of Jesus and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. As Peter declared, the arrival of the Spirit was according to the prophecy from  Joel  about the “ last days ” and the impending “ Day of the LORD .” - [ Photo by  Jeremy Bezanger  on Unsplash ].

The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost marked the start of the “last days.”   The application of the prophecy from  Joel  in the book of  Acts  links the initial outpouring of the Spirit to the commencement of the “ last days .” In  Acts , the activity of the Spirit is programmatic and essential for understanding the rapid spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, indeed, from the Day of Pentecost until the arrival of Jesus at the end of the age - [ Mountain Stream - Photo by  Luke Vodell  on  Unsplash ].

The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus is a message of hope and joy for men and women in every nation .  After his resurrection, Jesus declared, “ All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations !” As the  Lord over all things , he dispatched his disciples to proclaim his sovereignty and the good news of salvation to men and women in every nation, whether Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, male or female - [ World Globe photo by  Greg Rosenke  on  Unsplash ].