Question: Why will there be a temple during the millennium? Will there be sacrifices and if so, why?
Answer:
Peter
Biblical theologians have grappled with this interesting question over the centuries. But all are left with the same dilemma… Scripture seems to indicate that, in fact, there will be a renewed physical temple and a system for worship practiced in the millennial kingdom! Read more…
Question:The premillennial position was not held by early church fathers, reformers and some great scholars today. Why?
Answer:
Peter
Why? First off, because that was the singular view taught by the apostles. :-) Secondly, these early church fathers were faithful to pass on the teaching of the apostles. They fought hard to “defend the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
Many of them died as a result of the apostolic faith they proclaimed! Church historians have established that Polycarp was personally discipled by the apostle John – the Spirit-led, human writer of the book of the Revelation (who, we can rest assured, knew a few things about the end of the age and God’s plan for the future!). Polycarp was later marytred for his faith.
So, that begs the question… When did premillenialism start? When and why did the church develop differing views regarding end-times? Let’s look at it… Read more…
Question: How can we show non-believers that Daniel was written before the predicted events and not after?
Answer:
Peter
Therefore, it is important to appreciate this principle for a couple of reasons. Namely, to provide context and clarity because 1) a portion of the predictions are yet future (Dan 7:1-8 and Dan 11:36-45) . And 2) to accurately understand “when” and “how” these events happened vs. those yet future we must use other validation methods like archaeology and recorded human history as well as the Bible. This is where most of the confusion lies for believers (e.g., Dan 11:36-12:13).
To use Daniel as a means to demonstrate the supernatural nature of the Bible to unbelievers can be a good tool. It can be a useful means or segue to sharing the gospel because many today are troubled by the state of the world and mankind’s future on earth. So… Getting to the gospel is the key!
Question: Does the Antichrist know of his eventual defeat to Christ, like Satan does?
Answer:
Peter
Based on the personal characteristics of the “man of sin” described in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, we can safely draw some inferences about him:
Scripture declares that Satan is the father of pride, the father of lies and the deceiver. As a part of God’s sovereign plan for redemptive history, Satan is allowed to use this final “son of perdition” to carry out his evil attempt to usurp Christ and be worshipped as God. Satan will do anything to oppose God’s rightful rulership and glory. Therefore, one can safely argue that the Antichrist, in a way and depth unmatched by any of the other preceding megalomaniacal world leaders, is blinded, self-deluded and completely given over to evil through Satanic influence. (Far more than Antiochus Ephinanes or Adolf Hitler!)
Like Satan, he is completely consumed with pride and self-idolatry. I believe the Antichrist will be shocked when he swiftly incurs his ultimate fate - the just and eternal wrath of God.
“And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” (2 Thess 2:8)
Question: Many scholars today say that the antichrist will come out of the papacy. Is there truth to this?
Answer:
Chris
and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
[Will he be a religious leader to be worshipped?]
Daniel 9:26 says,
and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
[Will he be a Roman/Italian?]
And Daniel 11:36-37 says,
Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. 37 “And he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.
[Will he be homosexual OR celibate?]
The biblical descriptions above definitely COULD point to the Antichrist being a Roman Catholic Pope in the future.
Question: What is the difference between the lake of fire and hell?
Answer:
Peter
First, those who have died without repenting and trusting Christ’s payment for their sin (thereby receiving the imputation of His righteousness to them see – 2 Cor 5:21) are awaiting “final judgment” of their lives (Rev 20:11-15). In contrast, the believer’s sin was judged at the cross through Christ’s atoning death (1 Cor 15:1-4). So there is no judgment of our sin at death because Christ’s perfect payment cancels our unpayable debt of sin to God! (Jn 19:28)
The Bible states that when the unsaved die, they await final judgment of their sins in a place called Hades (the Greek word for the Hebrew word sheol) – c.f., Matt 11:23, 16:18; Lk 10:15, 16:23; Rev 6:8.
Hades is not the ultimate destination of the unrepentant (i.e., Hell). Read more…
Question: How do we know Hitler is not the Antichrist?
Answer: Hitler was not the Antichrist. This is clear because the prophecies concerning the Antichrist remain unfulfilled. For example, look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 and Revelation 13:2-8. We see that the coming Antichrist will seat himself in the temple and declare himself to be God. He will perform signs and false miracles to convince people of his claims. He will even appear to have come back to life from the dead. He will be killed by the Lord, without human agency, when Christ returns. None of these things found fulfillment in Hitler, so he cannot have been the Antichrist. But, as Paul says, “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thess 2:7). Evil men will come, “even now many antichrists have arisen” (1 Jn 2:18), but they will all be eclipsed by the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) described in Scripture.
Question: If I am not persecuted, am I not following Christ?
Answer:
Peter
To “live godly in Christ” means faithfully living a life that puts Jesus on display, showing and sharing Him in a world that rejects His message and His gospel. Jesus said in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt 5-7) that we are blessed when we live in a way that pursues and manifests His righteousness. We are not blessed by the world, that’s for sure! No! Jesus says we are blessed by our faithfulness to Him, both in this life and the life to come! Being persecuted for Christ results in a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. He goes on to say what true persecution looks like — casting insults against you, hunting you down, ridiculing you and falsely accusing and slandering you (Matt 5:10-11). He then gives the reason for this type of verbal and physical abuse — it is on “account of Me.” We will be despised and persecuted for reflecting Him . . . for attitudes and actions that look like Jesus! So where’s the blessing?? The apostle Peter says it this way, “if you are reviled for the name of Christ you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14).”
So, here’s the point: Read more…
Question: Why is it sin if you are not serving? What is serving?
Answer:
John
but to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
All Christians have been gifted by God for the good of others. 1 Corinthians 12:4-30 and Romans 12:3-8 both describe how the Spirit of God gives a variety of spiritual gifts to believers so that the church would grow (spiritually & numerically) as believers utilize their gifts. Ephesians 4:16 emphasizes that the growth of the church body is contigent upon “the proper working of each individual part.”
God has gifted every Christian SO THAT they would minister to others. That is why Peter writes,
As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Pet 4:10)
Your ability to minister is a stewardship from God, for which you will give account to Him. Just like the money, food and clothing which He provides to you, He calls you to use your spiritual gift in a way that brings Him glory (1 Pet 4:11).
Is it a sin not to serve? YES! You’re commanded to. Jesus calls you to be a servant, “for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45).
Question: Where does the Bible talk about sanctification?
Answer:
Peter
So what is “sanctification”? Here’s a simple biblical definition:
“That life-long work of the indwelling Holy Spirit that progressively molds and shapes the believer into the image of Christ ” (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18).
