THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST

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WHO ARE THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST? Have you ever heard of these churches? “First known as the Crossroads Movement and later the Boston Movement, the ICOC traces its roots to the late 1960s. The movement developed in the campus ministry of Chuck Lucas at the Crossroads Church of Christ in Gainesville, Fla., as that ministry began baptizing many college students. Lucas later converted McKean, who called 30 disciples to be totally committed to Christ. In 1979, McKean’s group planted the fast-growing Boston Church of Christ, which became the center of the discipling movement. In 1988, the Crossroads church disassociated itself from the movement.In the early 1990s, the ICOC formally split from the mainline Churches of Christ. The ICOC’s reported membership hit a high of 135,000 in 2002 — the same year worldwide leader Kip McKean stepped aside. Long-simmering concerns over the movement’s top-down hierarchy (i.e. everyone answering to McKean), aggressive discipling techniques and sectarianism seemed to threaten the ICOC’s future. By 2006, worldwide membership plummeted to less than 89,000 — a 34 percent decline. In the past, discipling partners sometimes exerted too much control and influence over converts. For example, controlling how they spent their time, who they date, pressure to convert others, pressure to attend Bible study groups, pressure to attend all church events, how much to give to the church, prying into your secret moral thoughts and activities, not to help you, but to get their hooks in you to stop you from leaving the church, manipulating you, using your secrets to shame you into obedience; forcing you to live with roommates instead of alone so a church member is usually around to keep an eye on you, being re-baptized b/c you didn’t make Jesus your “Lord” fully when you were first baptized even if you were baptized correctly the first time (I experienced that pressure when I was in college), pressure to cut yourself off from your family and stay around fellow members all the time instead, the music you listen to, the work and career you pursue. Some of its leaders did not consider members of mainline Churches of Christ to be Christians. I thnk one could say that the ICOC was definitely a cult! I have read of several who had to undergo counseling to overcome the stressful time they spent in the ICOC.

THE ICOC TODAY: (The Christian Chronicle, 9/1/2012). As of 2024–2025, the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) is a global movement with approximately 112,000 members across roughly 700 congregations in 148 countries. The fellowship is organized into 34–36 regional families of churches and maintains a focus on international evangelism and missions. They have acknowledged a lot of their errors from the past and seem to be doing better in their disciping methods. They are growing.

THE GREAT COMMISSION: MAKE DISCIPLES AND BAPTIZE The Church of Christ put a lot of emphasis on people being baptized by the right method (immersion), being baptized when old enough to believe, and being baptized for the remission of sins (not saved before baptism). This led to a lot of baptisms and re-baptisms of those who were not baptized “correctly”, but perhaps not enough emphasis on “making disciples” Matthew 28:19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” I was in college when the Crossroads Movement began in Gainesville, Fla. At first, it just seemed like an effort to make baptized believers become more committed disciples of Jesus. It spread to the Boston Movement and to other large cities. It spread to international cities. But many churches left the movement for reasons given in the paragraph above. There was a congregation in my city that went fully into the movement but left it many years later.

WHAT DOES MAKING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS MEAN? AI: “To disciple a believer in Jesus means engaging in an intentional, relational process of helping them follow, learn from, and become more like Jesus Christ. It involves mentoring a believer to obey Jesus’s teachings, grow in faith, and fulfill the mission of making other disciples, transforming them into a devoted follower.” The Greek word for “disciple” in Matthew 28:19 is mathéteuó: To make a disciple, to teach, to instruct: to disciple, i.e. helping someone to progressively learn the Word of God to become a matured, growing disciple (literally, “a learner,” a true Christ-follower); to train (develop) in the truths of Scripture and the lifestyle required, i.e. helping a believer learn to be a disciple of Christ in belief and practice.” (Biblehub.com) So in the Crossroads Movement, a discipling partner was assigned to a new baptized believer. That’s good. But the problem arose when the discipling partner began controlling and pressuring the would be disciple. I had a friend who had a mental and physical breakdown b/c of the pressure he was getting from his discipling partner while in college. The movement took a good thing and made it a cultish, control thing.

THE 3 ESSENTIALS OF DISCIPLESHIP IN LUKE’S GOSPEL There are many baptized believers who are not fully committed to following Jesus, being true disciples. Jesus gave 3 requirements for being a true disciple in Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” Thus 3 essentials of discipleship in Luke’s gospel: 1) Love Jesus even if it means leaving your family (not literally hating your family). 2) Be willing to suffer for Jesus, to carry your “cross” as Jesus did his. 3) Count the costs of being a disciple and be willing to do whatever it costs you to be a disciple.

THE 3 PROOFS OF DISCIPLESHIP IN JOHN’S GOSPEL In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives 3 tests or proofs of true discipleship. 1) Continue studying and obeying the Words of Jesus. John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples.” 2) Love one another. John 13:34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” 3) Bear much fruit. John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” In all 3 verses, the Greek word for “disciple” is mathétés: Disciple, learner, pupil: properly, a learner; a disciple, a follower of Christ who learns the doctrines of Scripture and the lifestyle they require; someone catechized with proper instruction from the Bible with its necessary follow-through (life-applications). Μαθητής designates a learner who binds himself to a teacher in order to embrace that teacher’s worldview and way of life. (Bibehub.com)

DON’T MAKE DISCIPLING A “LEGAL SYSTEM” OF WORKS It is obvious from these verses that Jesus demands full commitment from his followers. But we must be careful not to make that a legal system. How much fruit must a Christian bear in order to be a true disciple? Jesus said that some produce 30, some 60, some 100 (Matthew 13:23). How much time must a Christian spend in the Word to be a true disciple? How much must a Christian suffer to be a true disciple? We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus’s death. We can’t make the tests and proofs of discipleship a system whereby we demand certain amounts of all these things. We can’t pressure new baptized believers into a strict, authoritarian, controlling system of doing these things. Which is what the Crossroads Movement, the Boston Movement, and the ICOC did.. We should help new believers become more like Christ in their everyday lives, but always assure them that they are saved even if they aren’t perfect disciples.

JAN HUSS AND THE MORVIANS

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WHO WAS JAN HUSS AND WHO WERE THE MORAVIANS? If I asked you what was the first Protestant church to be formed as part of the Reformation Movement, you might say the Lutheran church in Germany, since Martin Luther was the main proponent of the movement. Or maybe Reformed churches, led by reformers Zwingli and Calvin in Switzerland. These churches were formed in the 1500s. But there was a church formed in 1457 in Bohemia and Moravia (modern-day Czech Republic). It was the Moravians, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren). Following reformer Jan Hus, they pre-date Martin Luther by 60 years and are known for their focus on missions, education, and simple, communal living. “John Hus (Jan Hus) was burned at the stake in 1415 for heresy after challenging the Roman Catholic Church by promoting biblical supremacy, criticizing clerical corruption, and advocating for reform. He taught that the Bible—not popes or councils—was the final authority, salvation was by faith alone, and Christ was the true head of the Church. He actively preached against the sale of indulgences (as did Luther 60 years later), arguing that forgiveness could not be purchased. He criticized immoral priests, simony (selling church offices), and the immense wealth/power of the church, arguing that priests should live holy lives. He supported preaching and reading the Bible in the native language of the people rather than Latin. Hus refused to recant his views at the Council of Constance, stating he would seal with his blood the truths he had taught.” (AI) As you can see, Huss stood for all the reformation teachings that we usually give credit to Luther, Tyndale, Wycliffe, and Zwingli as the first ones teaching reformation doctrines.

WHO WERE THE HUSSITES AND THE BOHEMIAN BRETHREN? “John Huss followers, known as Hussites, were a 15th-century Bohemian reform movement that emerged after Jan Hus was burned at the stake in 1415 for challenging Catholic corruption. They fought the Hussite Wars (1419–1434), defeating five papal crusades. The movement, which split into moderate (Utraquist) and radical (Taborite) factions, maintained a strong presence in Bohemia for 200 years until defeated by Catholic forces in the 1620s.” So where did the Moravians start? Known as the “Bohemian Brethren” they broke away from the mainstream Utraquist Hussites to form the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of the Brethren) in 1457. They refused to fight in the Hussite Wars and embraced a pacifist, communal lifestyle. The group was heavily influenced by the teachings of Petr Chelčický, a pacifist who criticized both the Catholic Church and the warring Hussites. They later became known as the Moravian Church after settling in Moravia and being revived in the 18th century in Herrnhut, Saxony, under Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. The Bohemian Brethren essentially sought to return to the original, non-violent, reforming, and evangelical ideals of Jan Hus, rather than the political and military goals that the, Hussite movement had adopted over time.: (AI)

WHO WAS COUNT ZINZENDORF AND WHAT WAS HERRNHUT? “Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700–1760) was a German Pietist nobleman and theologian who revived the Moravian Church, forming a community of refugees on his estate, Herrnhut, in 1722. He organized them into a pioneering, worldwide missionary movement that focused on personal devotion and sacrifice. He was influenced by Lutheran Pietism and focused on ecumenism, aiming to unite Christians. Herrnhut, founded in 1722 in Saxony by Count Zinzendorf and Moravian refugees, was a highly organized, pious, and communal “haven of faith”. It functioned as a self-sufficient, egalitarian village where daily life revolved around 24/7 prayer,, missionary zeal, and strict, orderly Christian living (the “Choir” system). It was, and remains, the center of the Moravian Church. Led by Zinzendorf and elders, the town maintained strict discipline, overseeing all aspects of life, including marriages, trade, and morals. Initiated by Count Zinzendorf in 1727, 24 men and 24 women committed to hourly,,, 24/7, round-the-clock, prayer to sustain a spiritual revival, resulting in a massive, century-long missionary movement. This. lasted 100 years and ended in 1872. Under Count Zinzendorf’s leadership, the community was driven by an intense love for Jesus (the “Lamb”) and a conviction that the gospel must reach the ends of the earth. Hearing reports of suffering from enslaved people in the West Indies prompted Johann Dober and David Nitschmann to go to St. Thomas as the first Moravian missionaries in 1732, willing to sell themselves into slavery to preach. They were part of a larger movement of “lay” people rather than ordained clergy, focusing on bringing the Gospel to marginalized groups. Despite its small size, Herrnhut sent out hundreds of missionaries worldwide, focusing on evangelism and social good. Moravian missionaries, driven by a 18th-century “worldwide missionary campaign,” established early, far-reaching outposts in the Caribbean (St. Thomas), Greenland, South America (Suriname), South Africa, and across North America. Moravians sent out more missionaries in 20 years than all other Christian churches had sent out in 200 years. They focused on converting indigenous populations and enslaved people, with significant early settlements in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.” (AI)

HOW WAS JOHN WESLEY WAS INFLUENCED BY THE MORAVIANS? “John Wesley was profoundly influenced by the Moravians, particularly in their demonstration of calm faith during a 1736 storm, which highlighted his own lack of saving faith. They introduced him to the concept of “heart religion” and direct assurance of salvation, directly influencing his Aldersgate conversion and the structural organization of the Methodist movement. On May 24, 1738, while attending a Moravian meeting on Aldersgate Street, London, where Luther’s preface to Romans was read, Wesley experienced his heart “strangely warmed” and received assurance of his salvation. Wesley adopted the Moravian model of small groups, known as “bands” or “classes,” for spiritual accountability, which became a cornerstone of Methodism. Despite this deep impact, Wesley eventually separated from the Moravians over theological differences regarding the nature of holiness and the means of grace.” (AI)

THE MORAVIAN CHURCH TODAY: “The modern Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) is a worldwide (in 40 nations), Christ-centered Protestant denomination with about 1 million members, known for its emphasis on unity, community, and mission work.The church focuses on a personal, heartfelt relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than strict, complex doctrines. While originating in Europe, the largest concentrations are now in Africa (Tanzaia and South Africa), followed by significant presence in the Caribbean, North America, and Central America. Roughly 50% to 80% of members live in Africa, particularly in Tanzania. Unique traditions, such as the “Lovefeast” (a simple service of singing and sharing food), are still commonly practiced.” (AI)

I find the history of churches to be fascinating, especially ones like the Moravians. The early. “Hussites” were persecuted and killed by the Catholic church for their “heresy”. Their heresy was nothing more than what I believe as a fundamentalist conservative Christian. I would have been persecuted and/or killed like Jan Huss if I had the courage that he did. Which makes me wonder if I would have that kind of courage? How about you?

“MOONIES” SELLING FLOWERS AT AIRPORTS!

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DID YOU EVER SEE MOONIES AND HARE KRISHNA SELLING FLOWERS AT AIRPORTS? If you are old enough, you might remember in the 70’s and 80’s seeing people selling flowers at airports as you walked through the terminals. They were most likely either Moonies or Hare Krishna followers! They were using their 1st amendment rights to free speech and religious freedom and tax exempt status of their churches and the airports legally tried to ban the practice but could not. The courts ruled that airports were “public domain” and that the groups could continue the practice. AI: “The Unification Church organized teams to work in airports, sometimes working 17-hour days to meet high quotas for selling flowers or candy. Members used high-pressure tactics, often putting flowers directly into the hands of travelers and asking for money, which generated significant complaints from the public.” Finally, in 1992 the Supreme Court ruled that airports were not public domain and that the airports could ban the practice, but that the groups could pass out their literature in airports but that declined soon after that.

WHAT IS THE HARE KRISHNA MOVEMENT: AI: “The Hare Krishna movement, formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is a monotheistic Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu organization founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It focuses on devotion to Krishna, the Supreme God, through the daily, public chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. Devotees adhere to a strict lifestyle, including vegetarianism and the prohibition of intoxication, gambling, and illicit sex. Founded during the 1960s counterculture, the movement became known for its members’ public chanting, dancing, and distribution of literature in cities worldwide. Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism, worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu (one of the 3 main gods of Hinduism along with Brahma and Sciva) and often revered as the Supreme Being. Known for his compassion, love, and role in establishing righteousness (dharma), he is a central figure in the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, and Puranas. He is celebrated as a playful child, a divine lover, and a wise guide. He is ften depicted with blue/dark skin, playing a flute, or as a child stealing butter. The Kare Krishna movement is still active. It operates hundreds of temples and centers worldwide, with significant activity in India and among Indian diaspora, including Indian immigrants i nthe U.S.” Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, so no need to discuss this movement unless you are a Unitarian Universalist or a Bahaist and you think that someone can believed in any of he world religions.

GEORGE HARRISON AND HARE KRISHNA: George Harrison mentioned “Hare Krishna” in his 1970 solo hit song “My Sweet Lord“. The song features the Hare Krishna mantra in the chorus, as Harrison aimed to blend “hallelujah” with the mantra. “Mm, mm, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
Oh, oh my sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna)
Ooh, ooh, ooh (Hare Hare). “Hare” means “Hare” refers to the divine energy or potency of God, asking God’s energy and God (Krishna/Rama) to engage the chanter in loving devotional service, cleansing the heart and awakening spiritual consciousness,” In the song he also mentions Hare Rama (the 8th incarnation of Vishnu and Krishna is the 8th incarnation of Vishnu), Gurur Brahma (the creator god), Gurur Vishnu (the preserver god who had 9 incarnations including Rama and Krishna), and several other Hindu mantras. AI: “George Harrison became a devoted follower of both Hare Krishna and Hinduism, specifically practicing the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON). From the late 1960s, he adopted Hindu principles, including vegetarianism, meditation, and chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, remaining a committed practitioner until his death in 2001.In the final year of his life, it was reported that Harrison also expressed a deep interest in Christianity and the Gnostic gospels, often signing his letters with both a Hindu symbol and a Christian cross. Upon his death, his family followed his wishes, and he was cremated according to Hindu rituals, with his ashes scattered in the Ganges River in India.” He could have been such a great spokesman for Jesus if he had followed Jesus instead of the mythical gods and incarnations of Hinduism.  

WHO ARE THE MOONIES: AI: “”Moonies” is a widely used, often pejorative, nickname for members of the Unification Church (officially the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification), a new religious movement founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon. New members were often told to hand over all their possessions and money to the church. In his book The Divine Principle (1952), which is the basic scripture of the church, Moon wrote that at the age of 16 he had a vision of Jesus Christ in which he was told to carry out Christ’s unfinished task. Moon believed that God chose him to save mankind from Satanism, and he regarded communists as Satan’s representatives in the world. (Brittanica) The group is known for its messianic doctrines, mass wedding ceremonies, and intense, sometimes controversial, fundraising and recruitment efforts. North Korean founder Sun Myung Moon was considered the Messiah, with doctrine focusing on establishing a perfected family and, by extension, a “heaven on earth”. He was arrested in North Korea but fled to South Korea where he founded the Unification Church. In 1973 he and his wife moved the operation to New York where he founded The Washington Times. That year he was also convicted of tax evasion, sentenced to 18 months in prison, and fined $25,000 and he went to prison in 1984. (Brittanica) The group combines Christian, Confucian, and other traditional beliefs. Known for being labelled as a cult, the group has faced accusations of “brainwashing” members into donating large sums of money in the 1970s and 80s. The group came under severe scrutiny in Japan following the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the suspect claimed his mother was bankrupted by the church. The church is well-known for organizing large-scale, international mass weddings where couples were often matched by Moon himself. On November 29, 1997, the Unification Church, often referred to as “Moonies,” held a massive “Blessing ceremony” at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., where approximately 30,000 couples (including thousands present and others via satellite) pledged or repledged their marriage vows. Approximately 28,000 of 30,000 total couples were reportedly present for the ceremony.” I watched a video of such a mass wedding ceremony and many couples had just met their mates a few days before the ceremony. One bride didn’t remember her new husband’s name after the ceremony. When Moon died in 2012, his wife took over leadership of the church, referring to herself as “God’s Only Begotten Daughter”. AI: “Her leadership led to a severe power struggle with her children, particularly her son Hyung-jin “Sean” Moon, who broke away to form a splinter group in Pennsylvania known for using AR-15 rifles in services.” AI: “His church that held a ceremony where members brought and held AR-15 rifles is the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary (often known simply as Sanctuary Church) in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania. Led by Reverend Hyung Jin “Sean” Moon (the son of the late Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church), the ceremony took place on February 28, 2018, and involved worshippers wearing crowns—some made of bullets—and holding their AR-15 rifles during a marriage blessing ceremony.”She was arrested in September 2025 on charges of corruption, embezzlement, and bribery in South Korea. She was indicted and as of late 2025 she is awaiting trial.”

WHO WOULD JOIN CULTS LIKE THE MOONIES? My question is, “How could so many people become followers of some self proclaimed Messiah like Sun Myung Moon and even turn over their bank accounts to his church? I saw this in AI and it made sense: “Followers of Sun Myung Moon, often referred to as Unificationists or “Moonies,” typically share a desire for profound spiritual meaning, community, and a sense of purpose in fixing a troubled world. They are often characterized as idealists looking for answers, who are drawn to the Unification Church’s blend of Eastern philosophy, Christian theology, and promises of a “sinless” world. Followers often feel a deep sense of human suffering and are searching for a way to create a more loving and just world. Followers place a, central emphasis on traditional family, participating in mass weddings aimed at creating a new, sinless lineage.” Those are noble goals, actually. It is just a shame that they have chosen Sun Myung Moon as their Messiah instead of Jesus. Following Jesus can provide what they are looking for. The church that Jesus died for can provide the community that they are looking for. Following Jesus can provide spiritual meaning and purpose in life. More importantly, only Jesus can provide eternal ife. Moon might even have created many committed marriages and families, but he could not provide eternal ife. There is little evidence of any Moonies converting to Christianity. Such is the power of brainwashing. I did read of a lady who was seaerching for life’s answers. She had not found the answers in any of the organized religions, even Christianity. She attended a Moonies’ meeting and started getting pressure from the group to join the Moonies and turn her bank accounts over to the church. They hounded her to join and told her that the destiiny of her soul and of the souls of her ancestors depended on her joining. She did join for 6 months, but fortunately, she had some Christian friends who invited her to a Christian fellowship where she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She wrote aa book Why I Left the Moonies Paperback: How One Former Member of The Unification Church Found Freedom in Christ by Beth Axton which would be great reading. The article was found on https://www.womanalive.co.uk/ so you might want to check that site out for many other great articles helping women.

A lot of research into cults like this from AI to share with you. I wish I new the actual articles where the AI info was taken from so I could give credit and do further reading. I saw suggestions on how to do that. Usually when I google AI there will be many sites on the topics that can be used to verify the info from AI, and I do that a lot.

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CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE BOOK OF REVELATION?

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I think so. Of course that means that I am going to tell you what I think the book is about and when it was written so as to clear up all confusion about the book! I know that means that I think I have the book figured out, but bear with me as I try to condense a summary as briefly as possible. Please look up all the verses that I cite. 4 basic points:

WHEN WOULD THE EVENTS PREDICTED IN THE BOOK HAPPEN? Revelation was the prediction of events that “must soon take place” for “the time is near” (1:1-3; 22:6,10). Many interpreters say that “soon” can be in God’s time frame and could be thousands of years. But notice that the letter was written to the 7 churches in Asia, telling them they needed to “read, heed, and keep” the words in the book (1:3) b/c the predictions applied directly to their imminent future. The Greek word mello (μέλλω), meaning “about to,” “going to,” or “ready to,” appears in Revelation 2:10 and Revelation 3:10. In Rev. 2:10, it signifies the imminent suffering of the church in Smyrna, while in Rev. 3:10, it refers to the “hour of trial” that is “about to” come upon the whole world. The phrase “I am coming quickly” is used several times to stress the need for immediate action by those reading the prophetcy. The phrase is used in 22:7,12,20 right after repeating the warning that the predictions in the book are going to happen “soon” for “the time is near”. These time statements “soon” and “near” obviously are in the time frame of the 1st century Christians in the 7 churches and not in God’s time frame. This same logic applies when Jesus said “the kingdom is at hand” (Mark 1:15). He was talking about the establishment of His spiritual kingdom, the church: “at hand” in the time frame of those he was speaking to and not God’s time frame that could be thousands of years. He did establish that spiritual kingdom, the church, within that generation. If that isn’t clear, Jesus also said, “Matthew 16:28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Jesus predicted 4 times in the synoptic gospels that His 2nd coming would be within the lifetime of those he was speaking to (Matthew 10:23; 16:27-28; 24:30-34; 26:64). If He did not come within that generation as he predicted then he is a false prophet, which is what the atheists and unbelieving Jews say about him. But He did come within that generation in judgment on the Jews in 70 AD, so that just proves that He was “The Prophet”. There are no other predictions of another “coming” in the synoptics that was not to be within that generation. In Matthew 24, Jesus predicted the end of the Jewish Age (Matthew 24:14), the abomination of desolation of the temple as predicted by Daniel 9, 11, and 12 (Matthew 24:15), a tribulation of suffering of the Jewish people such as had never happened before (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1-2), and the coming of the Son of Man “immediately” after the tribulation (Matthew 24:30) with stars falling from the sky. He then said, “34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). The Greek word for generation is genea, which in the New Testament always refers to a 40 year period or the people living in a 40 year period. Of course, that means that the stars falling is figurative language and not literally stars falling from the sky. Such figurative apocalyptic language was used regularly in the Od Testament of judgments of nations like Babylon, and is not meant to be taken literally. Since Matthew 24 and Revelation are both predicting the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, some have said that Matthew 24 is a mini-Revelation.

WHEN WAS THE BOOK WRITTEN? Revelation was written before 70 AD while Nero was emperor (17:9-10). At the time of writing, 5 kings (rulers or emperors of Rome) had “fallen” (were dead). Those 5 were Julius Caesar, then Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, The 1st century Jewish historian Josephus considered Julius Caesar to be the first ruler of Rome b/c he states that Augustus was the 2nd and Tiberius was the 3rd. Modern historians might not want to start with Julius, but it is obvious who was considered the 1st ruler when the book was written. Also the Gentile historian Seutonius in his Lives of the 12 Caesars starts with Julius as the first. So “5 have fallen, one is”. The emperor ruling at the time the book was written was the 6th ruler, Nero (54-68 AD). Thus the book was written before Nero died in 68 AD. Those who date the book as 96 AD rely exclusively on a single comment by the church father Irenaeus in the late 2nd century, saying that either the prophecy of Revelation was seen or even possibly that John was seen in the reign of Domitian (81-96 AD). But Revelation 17:9-10 gives us internal dating of the book that is far more valuable than a comment by an uninspired church father, especially one who said that Jesus died at the age of 50 which is what Irenaeus said. Irenaeus said that John was exiled to the aisle of Patmos by Domitian but other sources say that he was exiled in the reign of Nero. The “Muratorian Fragment,” dating back to 170-190 A.D., states that this work of John was written during the reign of Nero. The “Syriac version” of the New Testament, which dates back to the second century A.D., states that Revelation was written during the reign of Nero making a date of 64-68 A.D. The “Aramaic Peshitta” version has a remark that places its date prior to 70 A.D. The title page of Revelation states this work of John was written right after the reign of Nero.The “Monarchian Prologues,” that dates back to 250-350 A.D., claims that Paul also wrote to seven churches following the pattern of John’s Book writing to the 7 churches of Asia, thus placing the book even before some of the other Pauline epistles. That’s a lot of external evidence that says that the book was written during the reign of Nero, not Domitian.
 Also, some tradition says that John lived to the age of 100 and died a peaceful death, but that contradicts what Jesus predicted in Mark 10:35-40 that the brothers James and John would die a martyr’s death. James was martyred in Acts 12. Papias (60-120 AD) said that John died at the hands of the Jews just as Jesus predicted. Papias doesn’t say when that happened, but it could only have happened before 70 AD. After 70 AD and by the year 100 AD, the Jews would not have had the ability to martyr anyone. The conclusion is that John died before 70 AD, so he must have written Revelation (and his gospel and letters) before 70 AD. That explains why we don’t have any inspired writings from John talking about the fulfillment of the predictions of Revelation as an event that had already happened. That would have been nice, and surely John would have written something discussing the destruction of the temple at some point after 70 AD if he had lived to the year 100 AD. But he couldn’t b/c he died before 70 AD. BTW the temple was still standing when Revelation was written (11:2) so that is another argument that shows that the letter was written before 70 AD.

WHAT IS THE MAIN EVENT PREDICTED IN THE BOOK? Revelation is about the judgment of the harlot Jerusalem (17:1,5,15,16; 19:2) which would happen when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD, killing one million Jews. We know this harlot was Jerusalem b/c “this woman (harlot) you (John) saw is the great city” (17:18). The “great city” is identified as the city “where the Lord (Jesus) was crucified (11:8) which of course is Jerusalem. Many interpreters have tried to make Rome to be the “great city” but 11:8 clearly states that the great city is Jerusalem. The harlot has the name “Babylon” written on her forehead (17:5) so the harlot and the great city and Babylon all refer to the same thing, i.e. Jerusalem. The harlot is riding on a beast with 10 horns (17:3). That beast, arising out of the sea, was introduced in 13:1-2) and was like a leopard, bear, and lion. This imagery is the same as in Daniel 7:1-8 where Daniel is predicting the 4 empires to come: Babylon (lion), Medo-Persia (bear), Greece, (leopard), and Rome (the iron beast, Daniel 2:40; 7:7). So the beast in Revelation 13:1-2 and chapter 17 is Rome. The sea beast Rome would “will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. (17:16).” That is clearly a prediction that Rome will destroy the city of Jerusalem soon after the book was written. That happened in 70 AD when Titus sieged the city for 5 months and then destroyed the city and the temple in 70 AD. This was the judgment of the harlot Jerusalem (17:1). Revelation 18 is about the destruction of “Babylon, the great city” (18:10,21) which again is Jerusalem, the harlot. Again, many interpreters have tried to make Babylon to be Rome, but it is clearly identified as Jerusalem. Why was Jerusalem called a “harlot or prostitute” in Revelation? B/c she was the wife or bride of God in the Old Testament (Isaiah 54:5,6; Jeremiah 3:14; Ezekiel 16:8) and she for most of her history had become an “adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband!” (Ezekiel 16:32). She had worshipped and served the pagan gods of other nations (Baal, Asherah, Molech, Chemosh, Dagon, Tammuz, the “queen of heaven” Astarte or Ishtar). This is called spiritual adultery or harlotry by the prophets (Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20; Ezekiel 16:14-15); Hosea 9:1). Revelation 17:2 calls it “sexual immorality” of the wife of God turned harlot, Jerusalem. God sent the Romans to destroy his harlot wife Jerusalem in 70 AD. It was God who 17:17 has put it in their hearts (the Romans) to execute His purpose by having a common purpose (i.e. Rome’s purpose to put down the Jewish rebellion called the Wars of the Jews and God’s purpose to destroy his adulterous wife giving God and the Romans a “common purpose”), and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.” The nations (Rome) would trample the holy city Jerusalem for 42 months (11:2) which is the length of the Wars of the Jews (66-70 AD) in killing over one million Jews. Rome was given “authority by God to act (on His behalf) for forty-two months” (13:5) to put down the Jewish rebellion and destroy the city and temple.The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is the main topic of Revelation.

WHAT IS THE MAIN THEME OF THE BOOK? Revelation is the “avenging of the blood of the “saints, apostles, and prophets” (18:20,24; 19:2) The harlot was “drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus” (17:6). Those were the martyrs under the altar in 6:9-11 who died for their faith and cried out for God to avenge their blood. They were those who “because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (12:11). The history of Jerusalem and Israel was filled with the killing of God’s prophets that he sent to rebuke them for their harlotry. Jesus had said that generation of Jews living when he spoke were the “sons of those who killed the prophets (in the past history of Israel) and that the cup of God’s wrath against the Jews was “full”, i.e. no more time given the nation before destroying it in 70 AD (Matthew 23:29-36). The judgment of Jerusalem would come upon “that generation” living when Jesus spoke. The destruction of the temple would be within that generation (Matthew 24:1-2,34). Over one million Jews were killed by the Romans to avenge the blood of the saints, apostles, and prophets. The unbelieving Jews were the ones who killed the Jewish Christians (the “saints”) right up till the wars of the Jews started in 66 AD. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16) says that the unbelieving Jews had persecuted the Jewish Christians, killed Jesus and the prophets, and drove the apostles out. Paul said that generation of evil Jews would “reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully” (which refers to their judgment in 70 AD). That’s the cup full of God’s wrath against the Jews that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 23.

I hope this is all a correct interpretation of the book of Revelation.

PLEASE TRY THIS PRAISE EXPERIENCE WITH ME!

On By nrfaughtLeave a comment

I want you to try a little experiment with me. First, look at the 3 images below. They are the “Adoration” (praise) part of my daily prayers (the rest being “C” confession, “T” thanksgiving, and “S” supplication: ACTS, easy to remember. Look at those 3 images for a few seconds and read the praise going on in heaven of the one of the throne, then of the Lamb standing but as if slain, and then of both the one on the throne and the Lamb standing by the throne.

After you have meditated on that for a while, close your eyes, lift up your hands to heaven, picture a door opening up for you to see all this praise in heaven (Rev 4:1 a door opened for John to see the throne visions of chapter 4 and 5), and then feel what it would be like if you could see the throne, the shining jasper stone on the throne, the emerald rainbow, the smaller 24 thrones with 24 elders on them, the lightning and thunder, the 7 lamps before the throne (the Spirit of God), the sea of glass before the throne, the 4 weird but awesome living creatures around the throne (each with 4 faces: lion, calf, eagle, man). Those creatures are crying out 24/7, day and night, praising the one on the throne saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” The 24 elders bow and worship the one on the throne, saying 11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

All that was Revelation 4. Pause now, close your eyes, and let spiritual eyes see all this in heaven and feel the emotion. The Hebrews letter said: 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Did you digest that? It says that we can enter the holy place (actually the Most Holy Place where God dwells in heaven) into the very presence of God and that is what I am trying to get us to visualize now. Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” We are approaching the throne of God and grace with confidence.

After you have done all that with the throne scene of Revelation 4, keep your eyes closed and mentally picture the 2nd image below of Revelation 5. Same throne scene, but look more closely. The one on the throne (the jasper stone) has a scroll in His right hand. Can you picture that? Can you see the scroll with 7 seals? Can you hear the angel asking “Who is worthy to open the scroll (which contains all the predictions that are going to happen soon in Revelation). Can you hear one of the 24 elders say, “The Lion of the tribe of Judah has overcome (death) and is able to open the scroll.” Then you see a Lamb standing as if slaughtered so there is blood around His neck from being killed, but He is standing so He is no longer dead (the resurrected Lamb of God). The Lamb takes the scroll from the one on the throne. Are your eyes closed off and on as you read this and picture it in heaven? Are you trying this experiment? Can you see the Lamb walking over and taking the scroll?

Then the 4 creatures and 24 elders fall before the Lamb with harps and incense (the prayers of the saints) and they start singing a new song, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. 10 You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”

Maybe the song they were singing in praise of the Lamb was like the Hillsong song Worthy is the Lamb. If you want to pause and sing along with the elders and creatures, here is the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9qXEiXxQl0&list=RDp9qXEiXxQl0&start_radio=1

Keeping your eyes closed, picture millions of angels joining the elders and 4 creatures to praise the Lamb standing by the throne, saying “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.” That is the 2nd image below.

Now one last image, the 3rd one below. Eyes closed, can you feel the excitement as every creature and created thing under heaven and in the seas join in to praise, not only of the Lamb, but both the one on the throne and the Lamb, saying “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.” Can your mind imagine animals, trees, mountains, stars, rivers, the clouds, the planets, flowers, fish, whales, insects, your dog, your cat, all animals that God created, as they all pause from their daily instinctive rituals to praise the one on the throne (the Father) and the Lamb (the Son). Can you imagine hearing that praise? Can you picture them singing? The 4 creatures hear all these animals praising and have one word to add, “Amen” (“Yes, I agree” or “I believe this to be true”.) The 24 elders fall down and worship both the one on the throne and the Lamb.

I had never heard this song. Let all creatures praise him: You might like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYQdE5Uemyk&list=RDoYQdE5Uemyk&start_radio=1 or the tabernacle choir singing a traditonal oldie all creatures of our God and king https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAXv8mGM4cQ&list=RDnAXv8mGM4cQ&start_radio=1

The door into heaven is still open for your last glance at the throne. Your heart should be beating faster as these scenes unfold as you look through that door into the Most Holy Place in heaven into the very presence of God and you see the Lamb all the things in Revelation 4 and 5. I have tried to do these mental images while writing this, which is hard going back and forth to type, but I personally feel something that I don’t always feel when I quickly scroll through the 3 images below in my “A” adoration part of my daily prayer. I feel like I have maybe actually gone into God’s presence boldly and heard and seen all that is going on 24/7 around throne of God. My worship time is more meaningful today I want to open that door into heaven more often.

Now, one more image. Keep your eyes closed and picture yourself being around the throne one day after you die! Revelation 7 pictures the multitude of saints in white robes who had been martyred by the Jews and Romans in the first century. Picture them and yourself “standing before the throne and before the Lamb”. Can you see yourself there one day? You and the multitude are all crying out with a loud voice “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (7:10). Then you hear all the millions of angels fall and worship, saying “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Picture yourself there. Maybe picture your family there with you. And you friends. And those you have converted along the way.

Next can you mentally hear one of the 24 elders ask you a rhetorical question, 13 Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” He then replies And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 16 They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

That’s amazing. The red blood of the Lamb can make their robes white! Cleansed from sin, the new clothes of the righteousness of Christ given or imputed to us making us new creatures. Often passages in the New Testament are used to portray what eternal life in heaven is like when those passages are really talking about spiritual life, peace, joy, no tears, etc. of the church on earth. But Revelation gives a picture of martyrs in heaven, so we know this is a picture of eternal life in heven and what is like for those martyrs, and what it will be like for every person, including you and me, in heaven, wherever that is, when we die!

Here is your last image, that of the multitude in white robes around the throne. Picture yourself as one of the people in the picture.


1. ADORATION (You can add your own praise and worship)

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Rev 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” 

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5:12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.” 

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13 And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.”14 And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Please leave a comment if this experiment created a more meaningful worship experience for you.

PENTECOSTALISM/THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

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WHAT IS PENTECOSTALISM? AI: “Pentecostalism is a vibrant, fast-growing Protestant movement emphasizing direct, personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, often evidenced by speaking in tongues. Emerging in the early 20th century, it prioritizes spiritual gifts, divine healing, and enthusiastic worship, with over 600 million followers globally, making it one of the largest forms of Christianity. A post-conversion experience, distinct from salvation, that empowers believers to live a holy life and work for God. Belief that biblical gifts—including prophecy, healing, and tongues—are active today, Strict adherence to the inerrancy of the Bible, with a focus on replicating the power of the early Apostolic Church. A focus on Jesus not just as Savior, but also as Baptizer (in the Spirit), Healer, and Soon-Coming King. Speaking in Tongues (Glossolalia): Often considered the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Services are characterized by emotional expression, such as raised hands, clapping, dancing in the spirit, and vocal praise.Evangelism: A strong, mission-driven focus on spreading the gospel.”

Modern Pentecostalism in the US began on January 1, 1901, in Topeka, Kansas, when Agnes Ozman spoke in tongues at Charles Fox Parham’s Bethel Bible College. Parham, a holiness teacher, established that speaking in tongues was the “initial evidence” of baptism in the Holy Spirit. The movement grew rapidly, catapulting to international fame through the 1906-1909 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, led by Parham’s student, William J. Seymour. 

WHAT IS THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT? Emerging in the 1960s as a “second wave” of Pentecostalism, brought Pentecostal-style spiritual gifts—such as tongues, prophecy, and healing—into mainline Protestant and Catholic denominations. Unlike Pentecostalism, which formed new denominations, this movement encouraged adherents to remain within their traditional churches, initiating a global renewal movement. The movement is widely considered to have begun on April 3, 1960, when Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett announced to his congregation at St. Mark’s in Van Nuys, California, that he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. While Pentecostalism was the first wave (early 1900s), the Charismatic movement acted as a second wave (1960s), with a “third wave” (1980s onwards) focusing on signs and wonders without necessarily emphasizing tongues as the initial evidence of the Spirit. Third Wave believers often do not view the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” as a second, distinct experience after conversion, nor do they typically insist on tongues as the only evidence of that baptism. A central concept where preaching the Gospel is accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders to validate the message. It emphasizes the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet.The movement is known for emotional,, sometimes, dramatic worship experiences, including reports of “laughing in the Spirit” and other physical manifestations. Associated with figures like John Wimber (Vineyard Movement) and movements focusing on spiritual warfare. Key groups include the Association of Vineyard Churches, Calvary Chapel, and various ministries associated with the Toronto Blessing and Kansas City Prophets. By the early 21st century, this group was considered to have more adherents worldwide than the first two waves combined. Then there are the neo-charismatics: This broader term includes groups that emphasize the “health and wealth” gospel, such as those associated with Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagin, and Kenneth Copeland.”

WHAT WAS TONGUE SPEAKING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? That’s a lot of history. Let’s stick with the first wave of Pentecostalism and discuss the speaking in tongues and baptism of the Holy Spirit. Do Pentecostals really speak in tongues just like done in the New Testament? Tongues in the New Testament were actual human languages that believers who had received the gift of the Holy Spirit could speak in. It began in Acts on the Day of Pentecost when the apostles were gathered in an upper room waiting for the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had told them to wait for. There were Jews from many different countries present for the Feast of Pentecost. The apostles started miraculously speaking in human languages that they did not know. We know the tongues were actual human languages b/c of the reaction of those who heard. Acts 2:5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were jeering and saying, “They are full of sweet wine!” Throughout the New Testment, tongue speaking was miraculously speaking in human languages which the tongue speaker did not know. Paul told the Corinthians that there must be an interpreter of the tongues, i.e. one who miraculously can interpret the human tongue language even though he does not know the language. If there was no interpreter, a person was not allowed to speak in tongues in the Sunday assemblies. That again sounds like tongues were human languages.

WHY AND HOW WAS TONGUE SPEAKING GIVEN TO BAPTIZED BELIEVERS?Tongue speaking miraculously in a human language was a proof of salvation for a baptized believer in the first century church. An example of this is found in Acts 19. Paul found some whom he thought had been baptized in the name of Jesus, but they had only been baptized in John’s baptism which was no longer valid after the ascension of Jesus. Paul taught them about the baptism in the name of Jesus. 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.” The tongues speaking was proof of salvation and was necessary in the first century b/c there the New Testament had not been written yet. There were several signs that accompanied believers being baptized in the name of Jesus. Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Tongue speaking was part of the miracles poured out on believers in the last days of the Jewish Age, i.e. from 30 AD to 70 AD that culminated with Jesus’ 2nd coming in judgment on the Jews in 70 AD. Joel 2:28-32 had predicted this pouring out of the Spirit (miracles) in the last days and Peter said in Acts 2:17-21 that Joel’s prophecy was beginning to be fulfilled with the apostles speaking in tongues that day. Acts 2:17  And in the last days it shall be, God declares, wthat I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and  your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18  even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20  the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (ESV)’ This 40 year miraculous period in the early church would end with the “glorious day of the Lord”, i.e. the judgment of the Jews at Jesus’ 2nd coming in 70 AD. Tongues and miracles were no longer needed after the New Testament was delivered. All 27 books of the New Testament were written before 70 AD. We don’t need tongues today as a sign that we have been saved when we believe and are baptized. We have the written word of God in the New Testament, which is better than relying on tongue speaking. The miraculous spiritual gifts were given to baptized believers by the laying on of the hands of the apostles. That is seen in Acts 8. Philip, who could do miracles himself, baptized many in Samaria but he could not give the baptized believers the Holy Spirit (also called the “gift of the Holy Spirit). The apostles Peter and John came from Jerusalem to lay their hands on them and give them the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 16 (For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ” That’s about as clear as it gets showing how the miraculous gifts were given to baptized believers. The apostles all died before 70 AD so there are no apostles to continue to give miraculous gifts after 70 AD.

ARE MODERN TONGUES THE SAME AS TONGUES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? Modern tongue speaking has been tested to see if there are any human languages in the tongue speaking, and no human languages have been found. Likewise none found to be able to miraculously interpret a human language that they do not know. One experiment had someone saying the Lord’s prayer in a real foreign language. 5 people who claimed to have the gift of interpretation were asked to interpret it. They gave 5 different interpretations and none of them was the Lord’s prayer. Modern tongue speaking claim that tongues do not have to be human languages. They might cite 1 Corinthians 13:1 the tongues of angels. But we have already seen that tongues were actual human languages. Modern tongue speaking is just a rapid saying of different nonsense words, none of which are human languages. That would not impress me as a miracle sent by God if I was a listener. The pagan religions had prophets who worked themselves into a frenzy and spoke in weird syllables so Christian tongue speaking had to be different than that to convince an unbeliever that it was truly from God. Modern tongue speaking is truly an emotional experience but I don’t think it is tongue speaking as in the early church. It can cause those who claim to speak in tongues to have a superior spirituality than those who don’t speak in tongues. It can leave a tongue speaker feeling less spiritual when he is not speaking in tongues. I would never make fun of someone who claimed to speak in tongues, but I feel the need to teach on what tongues really were. I don’t think tongue speaking is a heaven/hell issue.

WHAT IS CESSATIONISM: AI: “Cessationism is the Christian doctrine that miraculous spiritual gifts—such as tongues, prophecy, and healing—ceased to function after the apostolic age and the completion of the New Testament canon. It posits that these sign gifts were temporary, intended specifically to validate the apostles’ message and establish the early church.” It is opposed to continuationism, which teaches that all spiritual gifts are available to believers today”. They were necessary to confirm the gospel message, for the establishment of the church kingdom, provide the early church with spiritual gifts for their edification in their assemblies,and for the confirmation of who the true Christians were. They were like a scaffold temporarily used to build a house. Scaffolds are needed until the house is built but then they come down. I believe that the miracles ceased in 70 AD at the end of the last days of the Jewish Age which coincided with the completion of the writing of the New Testament books. When I say miracles have ceased, I mean supernatural events that cannot be explained by natural means, that are undeniable. Acts 4:15 But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 16 saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” The enemies of Jesus and the apostles never denied that a supernatural event had occurred so they said that Jesus did his miracles by the power of the devil. Jesus said that Satan would not do thatt b/c it would be destroying his own house. The miracles healings were instantaneous with no relapses. The miracles were not done for money. Those wanting to be healed were never “culled” and not allowed to get to Jesus. There were no failures in doing the miracles, perhaps saying that something failed due to a lack of faith of the person wanting to be healed. I don’t see those kind of miracles being done today. God can and does still do amazing things. He can cure someone providentially. Maybe its just semantics on whether we call an amazing act of God a “Bible miracle”. or not. But to avoid confusion, I think we should only call events miracles today if they meet the tests given above for miralces done by Jesus and the apostles.

PLEASE DON’T TAKE OFFENSE! If you are a tongue speaker or go to a church that has tongue speaking, I hope this article has not offended you. I also am aware of a lot of the arguments for tongue speaking today. For example, the church I was raised in (the Church of Christ) is cessationist. They also claim to restore the church to its original form as in the book of Acts. They claim to restore worship to the way it was in the New Testament. But then you carry them to 1 Corinthians 12-14 and see all the miraculous Spiritual gifts that were used in the assembLies and how to use the tongue speakers and the prophets. My church does not believe in using those miraculous gifts in their assemblies and yet they claim to be restoring the early church to its original worship. That sounds inconsistent. But it is not inconsistent if we understand that the miracles were only for that transition period from 30-70 AD. Everything in the New Testament was not written directly to us but to other people living in that transition period. I look around and I do not see human language miraculous tongue speaking and other miracles being done in churches today. I thing it would be undeniable if such was really happening, but I jsut don’t see it. The charismatic might not be evil, but is it real?


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RASTAFARIANISM: WHAT IS IT?

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AI: “Rastafarianism (or Rastafari) is an Abrahamic, Pan-African spiritual and political movement emerging in 1930s Jamaica. It centers on the belief that Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I is the returned Black Messiah and Jah (God), promoting African pride, repatriation to Zion (Africa/Ethiopia), and resistance to “Babylon” (Western oppressive society). The African diaspora are the true “children of God”. Rastafarians believe in the repatriation of the African diaspora, viewing it as the physical, spiritual, and mental return of Black people from “Babylon” (exile in the oppressive Western world) to “Zion” (Africa/Ethiopia, especially Ethiopia). It is a foundational, anti-colonial ideology aimed at reclaiming African identity, overcoming the legacy of slavery, and fulfilling biblical prophecy. Some have already moved to Ethiopia. Marijuana (Ganja): Used as a sacred, natural sacrament for spiritual enlightenment, meditation, and communion with Jah during “reasoning” sessions. As of early 2025, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance, making its use and distribution a federal offense and with no exceptions for religious use as in the case of the Rastas. About 24 states legalize recreational marijuana despite federal prohibition primarily through the constitutional principle of “anti-commandeering,” which dictates that federal agents cannot compel state law enforcement to enforce federal laws. This allows states to remove penalties for marijuana possession and create local regulatory frameworks, even though federal agents could technically still enforce the Controlled Substances Act (Wikipedia). Rasta adherents follow an Ital diet—a natural, plant-based diet, often vegan/vegetarian, avoiding meat (especially pork), alcohol, coffee, and salt, with a focus on foods that boost “livity” (life force). Common practices include wearing dreadlocks (based on Lev. 21:5), listening to reggae music, and rejecting materialistic “Babylon” systems. The movement gained global prominence through reggae music, particularly through artists like Bob Marley. The movement does accept white people.”

A little AI history here: “From the late 1920s on, Haile Selassie in effect was the Ethiopian government, and, by establishing provincial schools, strengthening the police forces, and progressively outlawing feudal taxation, he sought to both help his people and increase the authority of the central government. His legacy is not good however. Haile Selassie, while revered as a modernizer, has a legacy marked by authoritarianism and severe neglect. His regime was highly autocratic, marked by land seizures, high taxation (e.g., in Gojjam), and a lack of democratic reforms, which ultimately alienated the population. Despite international pressure and domestic promises, slavery was not effectively abolished until 1942, long after he assumed power. Rastafarians worship : Haile Selassie I because his 1930 coronation as Emperor of Ethiopia was seen as fulfilling prophecies by Marcus Garvey about a black king, marking him as the returned Jesus Christ (Jah) and a divine redeemer who would lead Black people back to Africa (Zion) for freedom, representing hope against colonial oppression. They venerate him as God incarnate, a direct descendant of King Solomon and Queen Sheba, who embodies the spiritual and physical liberation of the African diaspora. Marcus Garvey (1887–1940) was a Jamaican-born Black nationalist, Pan-Africanist leader, and orator who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL). He championed the “Back to Africa” movement, promoted racial pride, and advocated for economic self-reliance for Black people worldwide, influencing movements like Rastafari. Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey’s call to “Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer” was believed to be fulfilled by Selassie’s crowning, seen as a divine sign. Rastas interpret his ascension as the Second Coming of Christ, identifying him with biblical prophecies and viewing him as God (Jah). It’s important to note that Haile Selassie I remained a devout Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and never claimed divinity himself, viewing himself as a mortal ruler. It is important to remember that: By the 1930s, approximately 90% to 95% of Africa was under foreign colonial control. Following the “Scramble for Africa,” nearly the entire continent was divided among European powers—primarily Britain, France, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy—with only Liberia and Ethiopia (until its 1936 invasion by Italy) remaining independent.” So you can see why freedom from colonial oppression and repatriation to Africa/Ethiopia was such a vital concern back when Rastafarianism got started.

My wife and I spent 3 years in Trinidad, West Indies doing mission work in the 70’s. Quite often we would see a Trinidadian with dreadlocks and it was always a Rastafarian. They were never violent toward us as white people since Rastafarianism promotes peace and equality, but I imagine it would be difficult to try to convert a Rasta to Christianity. The white Christian countries that colonized the African countries, took their natural resources, and oppressed the Africans would probably be what a Rastafarian would think that Christianity represents. It might be hard to get past that. I do feel for countries ike Haiti. “Haiti continues to suffer from the long-term, structural consequences of colonialism and neo-colonial exploitation, which have created deep-seated economic, political, and social crises. Following its 1804 independence, France imposed a crippling “independence debt” (roughly$560 million in 2022 USD) that lasted until 1947, draining resources for development. To gain recognition, Haiti paid reparations to former French slaveholders, a debt that cost the nation an estimated $122 billion in lost revenue and economic opportunities. Many African countries continue to experience significant, lasting impacts of colonialism—often described as neocolonialism—which manifest in economic, political, and social structures, decades after independence. These legacies include entrenched debt, unfavorable trade terms, reliance on foreign aid, and the continued extraction of resources by former colonial powers. We are familiar with apartheid in South Africa from 1948 to 1994, controlled by British and Dutch settlers and their descendants, when Nelso Mandela was released and became the first president of a democratic multi-racial government.”

AI: “There are an estimated 700,000 to 1 million Rastafarians worldwide, though exact numbers are hard to pin down due to the decentralized nature of the faith, with the largest populations in Jamaica and significant communities in other parts of the Caribbean, North America, and Africa.” I thought this was interesting: Snoop Dogg converted to Rastafarianism in 2012, adopting the name Snoop Lion, releasing reggae music and a documentary, but later became a born-again Christian in 2018, though he still incorporates Rasta themes sometimes. He released his first gospel album, Bible of Love featuring a wide array of traditional gospel artists, that same year.” I just listened to a song from that album. Not exactly my style for Christian music, but I’m sure many are edified by the rap stye Christian music. Snoop Dogg has been a coach on The Voice and is a close friend of Martha Stewart. So, it is possible to convert a Rastafarian. I don’t see where he has been able to convert Rastas.

I hope you enjoy researching these religious movements. I find it fascinating that maybe one million people consider an emperor of Ethiopia to be the 2nd coming Messiah Jesus. Colonization of Africa was a blight on Christianity, but the Rasta teaching is not the answer in my opinion. Let us pray for all Rasta that they can put their faith in a living Savior Jesus Christ.



WHY WERE ANABAPTISTS KILLED BY CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS IN EUROPE?

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Many of us believe that baptism in the New Testament was only for those who were old enough to believe that Jesus died and was raised from the dead for our sins. We believe that baptism was immersion, not sprinkling or pouring, b/c the Greek word baptizo meant immersion. We might disagree on whether someone is saved before baptism (Baptists for example) or after baptism (Church of Christ for example), but we agree that baptism is only immersion of believers. Many believe that baptism can be baptism of infants, either to cleanse the baby from original sin of Adam (Catholics for example) or maybe just a “christening”, committing the parents and church to raise the child in the faith. But many of us reject the doctrine that says that everyone is born with original sin and thus must be baptized to cleanse that original sin. We therefore do not believe in the necessity or practice of infant baptism.

Some are baptized as infants but then decide that they need to be baptized as believers. They then are “re-baptized” or just scripturally baptized for the first time as an adult. Most churches would accommodate that person, baptizing them by immersion if they so request. But can you imagine the federal government tracking you down and sentencing you to death b/c you got re-baptized as an adult? That’s crazy, you say, but that is exactly what happened to the ANABAPTISTS.

ANABAPTISTS: AI: “Anabaptists were 16th-century Radical Reformation Christians who believed in adult “believer’s baptism” rather than infant baptism, advocating for a voluntary church separate from the state. Emerging in Switzerland and Europe around 1525, they were pacifists, often persecuted by both Catholics and other Protestants, becoming spiritual ancestors to modern Mennonites, Amish, and Hutterites. These Anabaptists groups, known for advocating believer’s baptism, pacifism, and separation of church and state, established the foundation for further denominations, including the Church of the Brethren, River Brethren, and the Bruderhof. Anabaptists were heavily persecuted and killed by both Roman Catholic and Magisterial Protestant authorities (such as Lutherans and Zwinglians) throughout 16th and 17th-century Europe. Between 4,000 and 5,000 Anabaptists were executed during the Reformation years. Considered dangerous radicals for rejecting infant baptism and advocating separation of church and state, they faced executions like drowning—ordered by Zwingli and King Ferdinand—beheading, and burning. King Ferdinand I ordered the execution of Anabaptists by framing them as dangerous radical heretics threatening religious uniformity, social order, and political stability, particularly after the 1529 Diet of Speyer authorized the death penalty for them. As a staunch defender of Catholicism, Ferdinand utilized the legal authority of the Holy Roman Empire to eliminate religious dissenters. The Zurich city council, in agreement with Huldreich Zwingli, executed key leader Felix Manz by drowning in 1527. He was executed by drowning in the Limmat River in Zurich on January 5, 1527, as a, “third baptism” for his rejection of infant baptism. His hands were tied and he was thrown into the water while his mother and brother watched. In Münster, 1535, a combined force of Catholic and Protestant princes suppressed the Anabaptist kingdom there. The union of church and state was, for Anabaptists, a “fall of the church”. They believed in a voluntary church, whereas magistrates believed a unified state church was necessary for social stability. Anabaptists were charged with heresy (re-baptizing adults) and sedition (refusing to bear arms or take oaths), which combined religious non-conformity with political rebellion in the eyes of the state. Anabaptists were present in the American colonies, primarily settling in Pennsylvania starting in the late 17th century to escape religious persecution in Europe. Groups included Mennonites, who established a settlement in Germantown in the 1690s, and Amish, who arrived in the 1730s–1770s. They were known for their pacifism,, and separation from society. These groups are still considered to be Anabaptists.”

That is so interesting and unbelievable! Catholics and Protestants were literally killing each other in religious wars in Europe in the 16th through 17th centuries, and yet they join together to kill Anabaptists. Several Catholic/Protestant wars.1) Catholic-Protestant wars in Europe (16th–17th centuries) were a series of violent conflicts triggered by the Reformation, starting around 1517 and peaking with the devastating Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) which caused roughly 4.5 to 8 million deaths from battles, famine, and disease, deeply dividing Central Europe. These wars involved religious, territorial, and political power struggles, resulting in massive casualties, with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia ultimately reshaping the continent’s sovereignty. 2) Eight brutal conflicts between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots) in France (1562-1598), ending with the Edict of Nantes. 3) The German Peasants’ War (1524–1525), led by Thomas Muntzer, was an uprising within the Holy Roman Empire during the reformation movement that was supported by Zwingli but condemned by Luther. It led to 100,000 peasants being killed. During the German Peasants’ War (1524–1525), peasants aimed to end their feudal oppression by abolishing serfdom, reducing taxes, eliminating excessive tithes (church taxes), and securing rights to manage local resources like forests and water. Inspired by the Reformation, they sought greater local autonomy, including the right to elect their own pastors. Thomas Müntzer believed true faith came from direct, personal revelation from the Holy Spirit, not just the Bible, leading him to advocate for a radical, violent overthrow of corrupt earthly and church authorities to establish a theocratic, classless society, viewing the common people as God’s chosen instruments for this apocalyptic transformation, a view that contrasted sharply with Luther and ultimately led to his execution during the German Peasants’ War. Müntzer believed Christ’s Second Coming was imminent and required a forceful, violent cleansing of corrupt rulers and institutions to usher in God’s kingdom on Earth. 4) The Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648): Dutch Protestants fought against Catholic Spain for independence. Over 100,000 were killed in that war. 5) The English Civil War (1642–1651) included major religious divides between Calvinists, Anglicans, and Catholics which led to the execution of King Charles, the overthrow of the monarchy, and the establishment of the Commonwealth of England. The monarchy was eventually restored in 1660 but 200,000 died in the English Civil War.”

In spite of Catholics and Protestants fighting and killing one another, they joined together to hunt down and kill Anabaptists simply b/c the Anabaptists were choosing to be “re-baptized” as adults. Adult baptism was a serious crime in the 17th century, punishable by death. That death penalty would be enforced by the Roman Catholic Empire Church in Catholic countries. The Protestants under Zwingli were the first to persecute the Anabaptists, with Manz becoming the first Anabaptist martyr in 1527. Zwingli established a Protestant church-state model in Zurich, Switzerland during the 1520’s merging religious reform with civil government. So even the Protestants created governments that enforced religious laws in Protestant countries You can see why separation of church and state was one of the fundamental beliefs of the Anabaptists. They were also pacifists, refusing to fight in their Protestant/Catholic wars. In 17th-century Europe, pacifism was frequently treated as a criminal, seditious, or heretical act rather than a recognized right. During a period dominated by religious wars and the consolidation of absolute state power, the refusal to fight, take oaths, or support state violence was seen as a rejection of authority.” (AI)

Wow! Does that not make you appreciate our separation of church and state in the U.S.? We might disagree on the implementation of that but we all agree that we want that in our country. We don’t want the state (the government) making and enforcing religious laws like they did in Europe. We are inconsistent in that our coins say “In God we trust”, but we claim separation of church and state. We debate whether that separation means that our government can have any practices like prayer in schools or reading the Bible in schools, but we still respect separation of church and state. A citizen can even sign up as a “conscientious objector” to avoid being drafted into the military to fight in our country’s wars. “Desmond Doss (Hacksaw Ridge movie) was a conscientious objector due to his strong religious beliefs as a Seventh-Day Adventist, refusing to carry a weapon or kill, but he served as an unarmed combat medic in World War II and became the only conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions, saving dozens of lives during the Battle of Okinawa.”

I guess I would have been an Anabaptist back in Reformation Europe: what about you. But I wonder if I would have had enough courage and faith to be baptized by immersion as an adult back then, knowing that i would probably be tortured or maybe killed for doing that. I am just thankful for our religious freedom in the U.S., arent’t you?

ALL THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITTEN BEFORE 70 AD

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I do believe that all 27 New Testament books were written before 70 AD. Here is my analysis.

THE GOSPELS: Many claim that the gospels were: 1) Not written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 2) Were written late first century after those 4 men died. This teaching has caused many to leave their faith in the Bible, especially the New Testament. If the gospels were written decades after these 4 inspired men died, then they have no authority on doctrines and teaching for us today. We don’t have the gospels originals or even copies before the year 100 AD. The oldest manuscript of the New Testament has been the John Rylands’ Fragment P52, a small fragment (John 18:31-33, 37-38) from John’s Gospel, dated to the first half of the second century. Manuscript P66 part of the Bodmer Papyri, is a crucial, early 3rd-century (c. 175–225 AD) Greek manuscript containing a significant, nearly complete portion of the Gospel of John. So what is the one main proof that the gospels were written before 70 AD and written by those 4 authors? Here is my take. The synoptic gospels (Mt, Mk, and Lk) all record Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Mt 24, Mk 13, and Lk 21). None of the 3 state that event had already happened at the time of writing of each gospel. If the gospels were written decades after 70 AD, then surely each gospel would say that the 70 AD predictions of Jesus had already happened, confirming that Jesus was a true prophet. Matthew directly states that prophecies were fulfilled or uses “fulfillment citations” approximately 11 to 13 times in his Gospel to establish Jesus as the Messiah, often using the formula, “This occurred in order to fulfill what was spoken of by the prophet”. Surely Matthew would have done the same with Jesus’ 70 AD predictions if they had already been fulfilled when he wrote his gospel. Why is it so important that we show that the gospels were written before 70 AD? 1) It tells us that the 4 authors were either eyewitnesses (the apostles Matthew and John), or were associated with an eyewitness (according to Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) Mark based his gospel on the recollections of the apostle Peter) or used eyewitness testimony to gather his material (Luke 1:1-4). That gives much more credibility to the gospels than if they were written anonymously in the late 1st century by writers who did not witness Jesus’ miracles and resurrection. 2) If the gospels were written around 50-60 AD, that is only 20-30 years after Jesus’ miracles and resurrection. That would have given opportunity for people to question or reject the anthenticity of these gospels. They would have known if Mt, Mk, Lk, and John really wrote the gospels. The early church fathers (100-325 AD) cite the gospels over 19,300 times. That shows that accepted the 4 gospels as authentic. They never quote or cite the gnostic gospels like the Gospel of Thomas, or Gospel of Judas, or Gospel of Philip, or Gospel of Mary Magdelene. Writing around 185 CE in Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons established that there are exactly four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) — no more, no less — calling them the four pillars of the Church.

PAUL’S WRITINGS (13 LETTERS): Paul died from 64-67 AD, beheaded by the cruel emperor Nero. That obviously means that he wrote all his letters before 70 AD. He also predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16: Paul writes that those who killed Jesus and the prophets are “filling up the measure of their sins” and that “wrath has come upon them at last”. This is interpreted as a reference to the impending judgment of 70 AD. In 2 Thessalonians 2 he predicts that the man of sin would arise and do false miracles before the 2nd coming of Jesus. He said that the man of sin would sit in the temple and claim to be God. He said that “mystery” was “already at work” at the time he wrote. That means that the man of sin had to be living when he wrote 2 Thess. That man of sin would have to be the emperor Titus who did enter the temple, claiming to be god, and who destroyed the temple in 70 AD. Obviously, that means that 2 Thess was written before 70 AD. In 1 Corinthians 15 Pau is predicting the resurrection in which believers, dead or alive, would be given immortality. Paul then stated that some of those he was writing to in Corinth would still be alive when that resurrection occurred: 15:51 Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” That resurrection was the resurrection predicted in Daniel 12:2 to happen at the end of the Jewish Age in 70 AD. It was the one that Paul said was “about to happen” in Acts 24:15. “While the early Church Fathers (Apostolic Fathers and later Ante-Nicene Fathers) did not quote every single verse from Paul’s letters immediately, they collectively quoted or alluded to all 13 epistles attributed to him in the New Testament over the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Major Pauline letters like Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians were quoted frequently, while minor letters were cited less often but still recognized, strengthening the evidence for the Pauline canon.” Bart Ehrman says that Paul only wrote 7 of the letters attributed to him, but I think that I will trust the early church fathers that he wrote all of his letters more than I trust Ehrman’s liberal teaching.

PETER’S WRITINGS (1,2 PETER): Peter, like Paul, also died from 64-67 AD, crucified upside down according to tradition, at the hands of Nero. Obviously that means his writings had to be written before 70 AD. Early church fathers quoted or cited 1 Peter frequently, but 2 Peter was rarely cited and often disputed until the 3rd or 4th century. 1 Peter was accepted early, cited by Polycarp (c. 130) and Irenaeus. 2 Peter is generally absent in early, undisputed writing, with its first clear mentions appearing in Origen (c. 250) and Eusebius (c. 325). It was disputed due to style differences from 1 Peter, repetition of Jude in chapter 2 (did Peter copy Jude or did Jude copy Peter or neither), and questions about who wrote it. But eventually it was accepted. I wonder if 2 Peter 3 predicting the destruction of the old heavens and earth to be replace with a new heavens and earth didn’t cause many to question the authenticity of 2 Peter. If you were a chiliast and expected Jesus to return soon back then to establish an earthly kingdom and it didn’t happen like you thought it would, then even 2nd century church fathers might have been reluctant to cite 2 Peter. Of course, if you believe that 2 Peter 3 is predicting the destruction of the old Jewish system and replacing it with the new Messianic system in 70 AD, then 2 Peter actually proves that it was authentic b/c he is predicting an event that happened in 70 AD just a few years after he wrote 2 Peter. That makes sense also since 1 Peter 4 predicted 7 The end of all things is near.” The end of all things had to happen soon or else Peter is a false prophet. 2 Peter 3 is predicting the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which was indeed “near”. The “end of all things” would surely include the end of the old heavens and earth, and that had to be “near” in 2 Peter 3 since the end of “all things” was near. So 2 Peter 3 is not talking about the physical destruction of the earth to be replaced with a newly re-created earth, which is what many teach. 2 Peter 3 had to be predicting something that was going to happen soon, and the destruction of the earth did not happen soon. BTW, the Greek word for the “elements” in 2 Peter 3 that were predicted to be burned never refers to the physical elements of the universe, like hydrogen, oxygen, etc. It is used 7 times and always refer to the basic rudimentary principles of the Law of the Jews or of pagan law. So we do conclude that Peter’s writings, including 2 Peter, were written before 70 AD.

James (the Lord’s brother): We don’t know when James died, but Josephus says he died in 62 AD. If so, his letter was written before 70 AD. But internal evidence shows that it was written before 70 AD. James 5:1 Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” That was written to scattered Jewish Christians who were oppressing the poor. That “last days” are the last days of the Jewish Age which ended in 70 AD. The miseries coming upon them would be the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD during which one million evil Jews suffered and died. James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” There is only one predicted 2nd coming in the gospels and the letters, and it had to happen within that generation of Jews. It did happen in 70 AD. So this coming of the Lord in James 5:8 would be the 2nd coming in 70 AD. So the letter of James was written before 70 AD.

Jude (the Lord’s brother): the Book of Jude was cited, used, and recognized as canonical by several early Church Fathers despite being considered a “disputed” book by some. Despite that it quoted the book of Enoch and the Assumption of Moses (two apocryphal books not accepted into the NT canon). It was accepted by prominent leaders such as Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen, and included in the early Muratorian Canon. (180-200 AD). It appears in the third-century Bodmer Papyrus (p72) (dated 3rd and 4th centuries) alongside 1 & 2 Peter, indicating it was part of the early “General Epistles” collection. The only indication that it was written before 70 AD is Jude 17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” That has to be synonymous with “the last days” which is 30-70 AD, the last days of the Jewish Age. If so, Jude must also have been written before 70 AD. One tradition says that he died around 65 AD.

John’s gospel, letters, and Revelation: The main reason we know all of John’s writings were written before 70 AD is that John was dead before 70 AD. Tradition says that he lived to the age of 100 in Ephesus and died a peaceful death. But that contradicts Jesus’ predictiong that the brother James and John would die a marty’s death. Mark 10:39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.” The most plausible tradition regarding John’s death states that John was arrested in Ephesus and faced martyrdom when his enemies threw him in a huge basin of boiling oil. That tradition, arguing that he was not martyred but rescued, would contradict Jesus’ prediction. The early church father Papias (60-130 AD) said that John the theologian and James his brother were killed by Jews”. That could have only happened while the Jews had the ability to kill someone, which had to be before 70 AD. They would not have had that ability in the year 100 AD. Some dispute the what Papias said, but the fact remains that Jesus said they would be martyred and that martyrdom would have to be before 70 AD. James had already been martyred in Acts 12. John’s gospel says that the pool of Bethesda was still intact when he wrote his gospel: John 5:2 Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes.” The present tense verb “is” is a comment by John that the pool was still intact when he wrote his gospel. That had to be before 70 AD b/c there would be no usable pool after 70 AD. Also John does not mention the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Surely he would have done so if that had already happened at the time he wrote the gospel. So the gospel of John was written before 70 AD. His letters (1,2,3 John): early church fathers recognized and cited 1, 2, and 3 John, though 1 John was cited more frequently than the shorter 2 and 3 John. Key figures such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Eusebius cited these epistles and attributed them to the Apostle John. 1 John 2 says that it was the “last hour” at the time of writing. 1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.” The last hour of what? That has to be the last hour of the last days of the Jewish Age which ended in 70 AD. While the phrase may not mean the last 60 minutes before the end of the last days, it surely indicates a time very close to the end of the last days. It definitely indicates that 1 John was written before 70 AD. We assume that he wrote 1,2,3 John b/c he died and he died before 70 AD. Obviously Revelation would have to be written before 70 AD since John died before 70 AD. Many have said that, based on a statement by Irenaeus in 180 AD, Revelation was written in 96 AD in the reign of Domitian. But the internal evidence shows that Revelation was written during the reign of emperor Nero (54-68 AD) so it had to be written before 68 AD. Revelation 17:9 Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits, 10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.” These kings are the kings or emperors of the sea beast Rome. Nero was the 6th king or emperor and living at the time John wrote Revelation (5 have fallen, died and one “is”). We start with Julius Caesar as the first of those 6 kings. In Antiquities book xvii second chapter, Josephus states that Augustus was the second Emperor. Two sentences later he states that Tiberius was the third.  Josephus (37-100 AD) lived in the first century and surely would have known who everyone considered to be the first ruler of Rome. The Gentile historian Seutonius, in his book The Twelve Caesars in 121 AD, started his list of caesars with Julius, not Augustus. Also Revelation predicts the 2nd coming as a future yet to be fulfilled event at the time of writing (Revelation 22:7,12,20 Jesus says “I am coming quickly”. That had to be coming of Jesus that was soon after the time of writing of Revelation b/c Revelation 1 and 22 state that the predictions given in Revelation would “soon take place”, be “near”. So that coming had to be soon or near, and that could only fit Jesus’ coming in 70 AD to judge the Jews. That means Revelation was written before 70 AD. Also Revelation predicts the destruction of the “great city” in Revelation 17:15-18. That great city was “where our Lord was crucified” (Revelation 11:8) which means it is Jerusalem. So the book of Revelation makes a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem as a future event at the time of writing, so the book had to be written before 70 AD. So all of John’s writings, including Revelation, were written before 70 AD.

Hebrews: If Paul wrote the letter, then Hebrews would have to be written before 68 AD when Paul was beheaded by Nero. The early church in the East thought Paul wrote it but the church in the West did not think he wrote it and disputed the authenticity of the book. I don’t believe that Paul wrote it. Paul never would have said that the salvation first spoken through the Lord “was confirmed to us by those who heard.” (Hebrews 2:3) In Galations 1 he argues that he got his gospel directly from Jesus and not from any humans or even the apostles. So if Paul wasn’t the author, how can we know that Hebrews was written before 70 AD. There are severa proofs that it was written before 70 AD. 1) The temple was still standing and priest ministering in the temple at the time of writing: Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle, performing the divine worship, 7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing.” These are present tense verbs: “priests are continually entering the tabernacle” and “the outer tabernacle is still standing”. Unfortunately the NIV translates those verbs as past tense, “was”. The priests are still ministering in the temple at the time of writing: Hebrews 10:11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins (again, a present tense verb “stands”). The temple was destroyed in 70 AD, so this means that the letter was written before 70 AD. 2) Hebrews predicts a coming of Jesus that will be soon with no delay. Hebrews 10:37 For yet in a very little while; He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” That coming had to be Jesus coming soon in the judgment of the Jews in 70 AD. 3) Hebrews predicts an imminent judgment of the evil Jews. Hebrews 10:26 For we — willfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth — no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice, 27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery zeal, about to devour the opposers”. (Young’s Literal Translation). I cite YLT b/c it accurately translates the word “mello” as “about to” The word mello in the NT always means “about to”. So there was a judgment of the Jews that was “about to happen” at the time of writing, and that could only be the judgment of the Jews in 70 AD and the letter had to be written before that. For these 3 reasons we conclude that Hebrews was written before 70 AD regardless of whole wrote the letter. Whoever wrote it was inspired or he/she could not have made such accurate predictions.

My prayer is that someone who has questioned the authenticity of the NT books will read this article closely. This is a critical study b/c the implications are serious. I hope this helps.

DOWN TO 3 SHAKERS IN THE WORLD!

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AI: “The Shakers, or United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, are a 18th-century Christian sect founded in England and known for communal, celibate, and pacifist lifestyles, along with ecstatic, trembling worship. Founded by Mother Ann Lee, they aimed to create heaven on earth through gender equality, communal ownership, and simple, industrious living. Founded in 1747 in Manchester, England, as a branch of Quakers, they moved to America in 1774. They believed that God is both male and female and that Mother Ann Lee was the female embodiment of Jesus’ 2nd appearing. They believed the Second Coming was not a physical, apocalyptic return of Jesus, but a spiritual rebirth that already occurred in the person of Mother Ann Lee. Practiced strict celibacy, requiring members to be unmarried and adopt children or gain converts, and held all property in common. Known as “Shaking Quakers” for their emotional, chaotic, and physical worship services involving dancing, whirling, and trembling to “shake off” sin. Emphasized gender and racial equality, with men and women sharing leadership roles. Famous for their simple, functional furniture design, architecture, and agricultural success. At their peak in 1840, they had over 6,000 members in 19 communal villages across the United States. Today, the faith has nearly disappeared, but their legacy lives on through their furniture, music, and simple design philosophy.As of late 2025, there are three active Shakers remaining in the world, all living at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine, the last active Shaker community. This small community relies heavily on volunteers and visitors to maintain its historic site museum, which draws thousands annually.”

Shakers believed Jesus was the male manifestation of the “Christ spirit,” representing the first Christian Church, but not divine in the traditional Trinity sense. They viewed him as a celibate example, whose incarnation marked the beginning of a new spiritual, non-carnal life, with the Second Coming fulfilled in their leader, Mother Ann Lee. Shakers did not believe Jesus was God, but rather a human infused with the divine Christ spirit. Jesus established the first Christian church, which Shakers believed apostatized (fell away) shortly after his death. Shakers taught that Jesus lived a life of absolute purity and celibacy, establishing a model for overcoming the “original sin” of sexual intercourse. Shakers viewed themselves as the “Second Church” or the “Millennial Church” that continued the work begun by Jesus. The Shakers (United Society of Believers) generally did not subscribe to the traditional Christian doctrine that Jesus’ death on the cross atoned for the sins of mankind. Instead, they emphasized that salvation was achieved through personal, daily effort, confession of sins, and following the celibate, sinless example of Jesus. Shakers believed in working out their own salvation through confession, confession, celibacy, and rigorous, holy, daily living. They focused on the idea that each individual must walk the same path of self-denial and perfection that Jesus did. Shakers believed that the original sin was sexual, and therefore, overcoming “lust” through absolute celibacy was a key part of the path to salvation. Therefore, while they revered Jesus, their theology focused more on spiritual resurrection and behavioral transformation than on the substitutionary atonement of his death.”

In. other words, they don’t believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross It is basically a salvation by works system. That and their belief that Mother Ann was an embodiment of Jesus definitely makes them a cult. Cults like the Shakers are fascinating. Their synchronized line type dancing in their worship assemblies is just he opposite of the Quakers sitting silently meditation, waiting for the Spirit to move someone to give a word or sing a song. They split off the Quakers and wer basically “Shaking Quakers”. I guess they wanted more emotion in their assembies!

Which could bring up another discussion: the role of emotion in worship assemblies today. The 16 day Asbury Revival in Wilmore, Ky in February, 2023 at Asbury University is estimated to have drawn 50,000–70,000 visitors to a town of 6,000 people, with over 200 other institutions represented. There have been studies about the lasting effects of the revival, some very good that led to transformed lived and service, and some emotion that died out quickly even leaving many disillusioned. Megachurches rely on emotional, band led singing but they follow up with conversions and community service. Some churches practice tongue speaking, which would surely stir up emotion but are they really speaking in the same tongues as found in the early church? I personally do not think so. Those tongues were actual human languages and tongue speaking today is not languages. It is also interesting that often many are speaking in tongues at the same time even though 1 Corinthians 14 gave instructions to only have 2 or 3 tongue speakers at the most in an assembly, and those only speaking one at a time.

I thought this was great from AI (from some articles somewhere!). “Emotions in worship assemblies serve as a natural, authentic response to encountering God, engaging the heart, mind, and spirit rather than just the intellect. While encouraging sincere expression of joy, gratitude, and contrition, they should not be manufactured or manipulated to “create an atmosphere”, serving instead as a means of deepening understanding of divine truth. Music plays a significant role in drawing out emotional responses on a visceral level, often making singing a high point of emotional engagement. While emotions are important, they must not become the primary goal (emotionalism) or replace the need for theological understanding. Emotions in worship are meant to follow facts and be rooted in God’s character and actions, rather than being fickle or self-focused. In essence, emotions are a vital, God-designed component of worship that, when authentic, enhance a person’s engagement with the divine, making them a necessary, but not the ultimate, part of the worship experience.”

I hope you don’t mind me pulling so much from AI but why re-invent the wheel. AI scans many great articles and seems to usually come up with great material, so I use it and add my own thoughts.

Does your worship assembly stir up your emotions?