More about persecution

If life is a test, how do you pass the test? What's the right answer? The Epistle of First Peter gives us the cheat sheet for passing life's trials, but it requires knowing something about the Day of the LORD and the Jewish apocalyptic worldview.

Mark of the Beast

Discover the origins of the antichrist in first century Rome in this discussion on the mark of the Beast as described in Revelation 13:11-17. Who is the beast out of the earth? What is the mark of the beast and how does it function? What is the image of the beast?

War in Heaven

The vision of Revelation 12 involving a woman pursued by a seven-headed red dragon has inspired many different interpretations, but how would a first-century Jewish reader have understood the vision? Where is the place in the wilderness prepared for the woman? What is the flood that pours forth from the dragon's mouth? This teaching places Revelation 12 back in its context, explaining the symbolism.

Synagogue of Satan

Yeshua rebuked those who claim to be Jews but are not Jews, and he makes reference to the "synagogue of Satan." Who are “those who say they are Jews and are not Jews” who worship in a “synagogue of Satan”? How do you know if you might not be one yourself?

Boiled in Oil

Why was John on the Island of Patmos? The tribulation was already underway in 95 AD. This teaching tells the story behind the book of Revelation from Roman histories, Church legend, and the Chronicles of the Apostles. The story of the Domitian persecution provides clues to unlock the meaning of the book of Revelation.

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 1:9)

Things that Belong to Salvation

Do we have eternal security or eternal insecurity? Do apostates lose their eligibility for the world to come? A few verses in Hebrews 6 have been a theological battleground for these questions since the earliest days of Christianity.

The things that belong to salvation include the gift of the Spirit, the goodness of the word of God, and the power of the age to come. This sermon deals with the difficult and controversial material in Hebrews 6:4-12.