“Those Who Say They Are Jews and Are Not”

Revelation is a very hard book to understand if you forget that it was not meant to be taken literally.  Indeed, the very first verse of the entire book says it was “signified,” that is, written in signs and symbolic language.  Also remember that the Bible is and has always been its own best commentary.  The Old Testament psalmist wrote under inspiration, “The sum of Your Word is truth…” (Psalm 119:160).  We will never be able to properly understand what is right about any biblical topic until we take into account what the entirety of Scripture says about them.  That also applies to understanding the truth about the symbolism in Revelation.… Read More “Those Who Say They Are Jews and Are Not”

“Thus Esau Despised His Birthright”

Recently I was watching a cartoon about Jacob and Esau with my children as part of our Bible Time together.  Watching the animated depiction of Jacob manipulating his older brother Esau to give up his birthright for some food stirred a wish within me to revisit the biblical account of this episode within the lives of the sons of Isaac, which is why I’m dedicating this article to it.… Read More “Thus Esau Despised His Birthright”

The Gift of the Holy Spirit and the Laying On of the Apostles’ Hands

Stephen and Philip, along with the others on whom the apostles laid their hands in Acts 6, were already “filled with the Spirit” (6:3).  Yet they did not perform miracles until after the apostles had laid their hands on them (6:6, 8; 8:6-7).  They had to have received “the gift of the Holy Spirit” at their conversion (Acts 2:38-39), only to later receive miraculous spiritual gifts when the apostles laid their hands on them.  This shows a difference between the two. … Read More The Gift of the Holy Spirit and the Laying On of the Apostles’ Hands