There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ…. EPHESIANS 1:19, 20
God is spirit and His universe is basically spiritual! Scientists change their beliefs radically from time to time and I do not want to quote them in confirmation of Christian truth, but there does appear to be a startling parallel between the atomic theory of matter and the biblical concept of the Eternal Word as the source and support of all created things. Could it be that, as certain mystics have insisted, all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, are in reality but the goings forth of the power of God? Whatever God is He is infinitely. In Him lies all the power there is; any power at work anywhere is His. Even the power to do evil must first have come from Him since there is no other source from which it could come. Lucifer, son of the morning, when he lifted up himself against the Most High, had only the abilities he had received from God. These he misused to become the devil he is. I am well aware that this kind of teaching raises certain very difficult questions, but we should never retreat before truth simply because we cannot explain it. The fact of sin introduces a confusing element into our thinking about God and the universe and requires that we suspend judgment on many things. The wise man will note that the things we cannot understand have nothing to do with our salvation. We are saved by the truth we know, and true Christians know that the boundless power of our infinite God is all around us, preserving us and keeping us unto salvation ready to be revealed.
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (pp. 34–35). Moody Publishers.
My soul! in the calculation of times and seasons, thou art entering this day upon a new month; stand still and consider what progress thou art making in the spiritual path. Here is a sweet promise for the gospel dispensation. It is an Old Testament promise, to be fulfilled in a New Testament day. The weak and feeble, in our spiritual David, being really and truly in David, shall be as David, that is, strong in the grace and strength that is in Christ Jesus. And the whole house of David, every true believer in Jesus, shall be as Jesus; that is, so accounted before God, as one in Christ, and accepted in him the beloved; for in the eye of God, and of his holy law, they are one and the same. But what a sad consideration is it, that the progress in the divine life, here set forth, is so seldom sought after by the people of God! We are, for the most part, satisfied to have made our calling and election sure, and do not seem to feel it much at heart, how frequently the soul goes lean, and is feeble in spiritual attainments. My soul! let me impress it upon thy most serious consideration this evening, how needful it is to have this sweet promise brought home, and proved in thy daily experience. Is not Jesus, in his person, work, and righteousness, to be continually improved in soul-acquaintance and communion? Should I not seek to preserve a constant communion with my Lord? When I consider his fulness, all which is for his people, surely I ought to send forth a desire for a renewed token of his love. And yet when I come to sit down in the evening, and look back upon what hath passed between my Lord and me, through the day, alas! how little hath my soul been going forth in desires after him, and in enjoying communion with him! Come, blessed Jesus! come, I pray thee, and let my awakened faculties be exercised upon thy person, blood, and righteousness, until this sweet promise be mine, and I find my feebleness becoming strength in my Lord. Let the growing acquaintance with thee, of one day, be made the step for desiring greater knowledge, and greater enjoyment of thee, for the next day; and let my earnest soul be pressing after fresh discoveries of thee, and for the sweet manifestations from thee every day in greater frequency, and in more enlarged views of thy glory. Oh! for grace from my Lord, for the liveliest actings of faith, and love, and praise, and every longing desire upon Him whose name is “the Lord our righteousness;” that the grace and good will, the mercy and kindness of God, my Saviour, may be my daily song, and evening delight, in this house of my pilgrimage.
Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Evening Portion (A New Edition, pp. 37–38). Thomas Wardle.
Come, dear readers, let each one of us speak for himself of the wonderful love, not of Jonathan, but of Jesus. We will not relate what we have been told, but the things which we have tasted and handled-of the love of Christ. Thy love to me, O Jesus, was wonderful when I was a stranger wandering far from thee, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Thy love restrained me from committing the sin which is unto death, and withheld me from self-destruction. Thy love held back the axe when Justice said, “Cut it down! why cumbereth it the ground?” Thy love drew me into the wilderness, stripped me there, and made me feel the guilt of my sin, and the burden of mine iniquity. Thy love spake thus comfortably to me when, I was sore dismayed—“Come unto me, and I will give thee rest.” Oh, how matchless thy love when, in a moment, thou didst wash my sins away, and make my polluted soul, which was crimson with the blood of my nativity, and black with the grime of my transgressions, to be white as the driven snow, and pure as the finest wool. How thou didst commend thy love when thou didst whisper in my ears, “I am thine and thou art mine.” Kind were those accents when thou saidst, “The Father himself loveth you.” And sweet the moments, passing sweet, when thou declaredst to me “the love of the Spirit.” Never shall my soul forget those chambers of fellowship where thou has unveiled thyself to me. Had Moses his cleft in the rock, where he saw the train, the back parts of his God? We, too, have had our clefts in the rock, where we have seen the full splendours of the Godhead in the person of Christ. Did David remember the tracks of the wild goat, the land of Jordan and the Hermonites? We, too, can remember spots to memory dear, equal to these in blessedness. Precious Lord Jesus, give us a fresh draught of thy wondrous love to begin the month with. Amen.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
AND there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: Satan was crafty in his selection of the time. When troubles come upon us at seasons of rejoicing they have a double bitterness. The brightness of the morning of that memorable day made the darkness of the night all the darker. 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Job did not lose his property through neglect of business, the oxen were plowing, and the asses were not left to go astray: this proves that all our care and diligence cannot preserve our substance to us unless the Lord is the keeper thereof. To lose the oxen which plowed his fields, and the asses which carried his burdens was no small calamity, yet we do not find the man of God uttering one word of complaint. Some would have been in a sad way if but one ox had died. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. The trial increased in intensity, for the hand of God was more directly to be seen in it, and this would keenly wound the holy soul of Job. Moreover, an eastern’s wealth lies mainly in his flocks, and therefore the bulk of Job’s property was gone at a blow; yet he murmured not. Some professors of religion would have grievously fretted, if but one lamb had perished. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. How dolefully each messenger finishes his tidings. Satan knows how to drum a mournful truth into a man’s ears, and weary his heart with the reiteration. Three companies of servants had thus been destroyed, and the last relics of his live stock, yet not a word did he say. His heart was so fixed in God, that he was not afraid of evil tidings. What an example for us! 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. (This was a home-thrust indeed. This would stir the man if anything would. Great reasoners make the lesser arguments lead up to the greater, so here the arch-enemy weakens Job with the lesser afflictions, and then comes to his heaviest assaults. To lose his whole family at once, was heart-breaking work, yet did not his faith fail.) 20, 21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. (Now indeed was Job great. Surely no man, besides the Son of Man in Gethsemane, ever rose to a greater height of resignation. Instead of cursing God, as Satan said he would, he blesses the Lord with all his heart. How thoroughly beaten the evil spirit must have felt. May the Holy Spirit help each one of us to triumph over him in like manner. Neither in his heart, nor in his speech did he offend. He was taught the sacred wisdom of resignation, and in nothing was he displeased with his God.) 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (Grace made him more than a conqueror over Satan.)
’Tis God that lifts our comforts high,
Or sinks them in the grave,
He gives, and (blessed be his name!)
He takes but what he gave.
Peace, all our angry passions then,
Let each rebellious sigh
Be silent at his sov’reign will,
And every murmur die.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 64). Baker Book House.
Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. (3:24)
Second, the Law has become a guardian and guide to the Jews and, in a less unique and more general sense, to all mankind.
A paidagōgos (tutor) was not a teacher or schoolmaster proper (KJV) but rather a slave employed by Greek or Roman families, whose duty was to supervise young boys in behalf of their parents. They took their young charges to and from school, made sure they studied their lessons, and trained them in obedience. They were strict disciplinarians, scolding and whipping as they felt it necessary. Paul told the Corinthian believers—who often behaved liked spoiled children—that, even if they “were to have countless tutors [paidagōgous] in Christ,” he would be their only “father through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:15). Continuing the contrast of paidagōgos and father, he later asks, “Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness?” (v. 21).
The role of the paidagōgos was never permanent, and it was a great day of deliverance when a boy finally gained freedom from his paidagōgos. His purpose was to take care of the child only until he grew into adulthood. At that time the relationship was changed. Though the two of them might remain close and friendly, the paidagōgos, having completed his assignment, had no more authority or control over the child, now a young man, and the young man had no more responsibility to be directly under the paidagōgos.
The sole purpose of the Law, God’s divinely appointed paidagōgos, was to lead men to Christ, that they might be justified. After a person comes to Him, there is no longer need for the external ceremonies and rituals to act as guides and disciplinarians, because the new inner principles operate through the indwelling Christ, in whom is “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). The law in the ceremonial sense is done away with, though in the moral sense it remains always an intimate friend that one seeks to love and favor.
Before Christ came, the law of external ritual and ceremony, especially the sacrificial system, pictured the once-for-all, perfect, and effective sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the world. When the perfect Christ comes into the believer’s heart, those imperfect pictures of Him have no more purpose or significance.1
24 It is unfortunate that KJV refers to the law as a “schoolmaster” and that NIV finds it necessary to work around the operative term by speaking of our being put under “charge” or “supervision” (v. 25). The term is paidagōgos, which means “a child-custodian” or “child-attendant.” The pedagogue was a slave employed by wealthy Greeks or Romans to have responsibility for one of the children of the family. He had charge of the child from about the years six to sixteen and was responsible for watching over his behavior wherever he went and for conducting him to and from school. The pedagogue did not teach. Therefore the translation “schoolmaster” is wrong; if Paul had meant this, he would have used didaskalos rather than paidagōgos. Paul’s point is that this responsibility ceased when the child entered into the fullness of his position as a son, becoming an acknowledged adult by the formal rite of adoption by his father (see comment on 4:1–7). “To Christ” is not to be taken in a geographic sense as though the pedagogue was conducting the child to a teacher, as some have implied. The reference, as in the preceding verse, is temporal; it means “until we come of age at the time of the revelation of our full sonship through Christ’s coming.”
The next phrase (literally, “in order that by faith we might be justified”) gives the ultimate objective of the law in its role of pedagogue. The emphasis is on justification rather than faith, for Paul has already shown that faith is the only means to salvation.2
24 The law was, therefore, a paidagōgos (GK 4080, “pedagogue,” “one who leads a child,” i. e., “instructor,” “custodian,” “administrator of discipline”) to lead God’s people until the time of Christ. A pedagogue was “a slave employed by Greek and Roman families to have general charge of a boy in the years from about six to sixteen, watching over his outward behavior and attending him” (Burton, 200; cf. also Michael J. Smith, “The Role of the Pedagogue in Galatians,” BSac 163 [2006]: 197–214). By analogy, then, Paul is saying that the law both kept (or guarded) and disciplined the people of God until Christ, demonstrating both (1) the minority of the one under a pedagogue and (2) the temporary nature of such an arrangement. The law’s pedagogical function was to bring people to understand their sinfulness, their inability to do anything to rectify that condition, and to guide people to Christ, Abraham’s Seed and the personal fulfillment of God’s promise.3
24 In the light of this division of time into two epochs, Paul can speak of the law being accordingly (hōste) “our custodian until Christ came” (RSV). The custodian (paidagōgos, literally “boy-leader”) was usually the slave who conducted the freeborn youth to and from school and who superintended his conduct generally—a function clearly differentiated from that of the teacher or “pedagogue” in the modern sense. In describing the law as a paidagōgos, therefore, Paul does not mean that the law exerts a gradual, educative influence on people, either by inclining them toward good until they receive Christ or by enabling them to realize their own sin, turn their backs on trusting in their own merits, and desire the grace of Christ. As noted earlier, Paul’s primary concern in these verses (22–25) is not to describe the genesis of individual faith in terms of psychological development, but to sketch the progress of salvation history. His meaning is rather that the law brought mankind into, and kept mankind under, an objectively desperate situation, from which there was no escape until the revelation of faith as a new possibility.10 This revelation is, as we have seen, coincident with the coming of Christ; it is until the coming of Christ, who opened the way of faith to both Jews and Gentiles, that the law was custodian.
When, in elaboration of the phrase “until Christ,” Paul describes the meaning and goal of the law’s activity as custodian by the clause, “that we might be justified by faith” (RSV, NIV), it is to be remembered that this righteousness is in no sense effected or prepared for by the law; rather, it is the hidden purpose of the custodianship of the law, which became clear only with the coming of Christ and faith.4
3:24 / Through his use of the word so Paul indicates that now he is giving a straightforward answer to the question he raised in verse 19. The law’s purpose was custodial for the period before Christ. The law’s function was both negative and positive, for while it confined (v. 23), it did so with a view to liberation. The law’s role was to be in charge so that we might be justified by faith.
The Greek word translated by “in charge” (paidagōgos) means pedagogue, tutor, or guardian. In the ancient Greco-Roman world a pedagogue was a standard member of a well-to-do household. Pedagogues were the guardians in charge of educating and directing the ethical conduct of the sons of the household. Paul equates the law’s function with that of guardianship. The metaphor suggests that as a guardian keeps watch over a child until the child reaches maturity, so the law guarded humanity until the coming of Christ. In the following verses Paul will appeal to the idea of inheritance (3:29–4:7), which is the flipside of the idea of guardianship. In the ancient world a boy often had a guardian until the age of maturity, at which point he came into his inheritance. In verse 24 Paul suggests that the way to understand the purpose of the law is as a time-limited guardian or disciplinarian, and he strongly implies that the opportunity of being “justified by faith” is akin to attaining maturity.
Throughout this passage faith refers to the action of believing (3:22b) and to the faith of Christ (3:23, 25), the one who has come. The second part of verse 24 fills out what Paul has said by claiming that the law served a purpose until Christ came. As a result of Christ’s coming righteousness is available to all through faith. A believing response to the faith of Christ means that one is “in Christ,” as Paul goes on to say in verse 26. Belonging to Christ in this way makes one an heir to the promise (v. 29). The age of maturity, in which the inheritance can be received, is available to those who live by faith in Christ. Being justified by faith is a sign that one is grown up, for it is a sign that one has inherited the promise to Abraham (3:6–9).5
24. So the law became our custodian (to conduct us) to Christ, that by faith we might be justified. In view of the explanation of verse 23 little need be added. The rendering “schoolmaster” (A.V.) is not a happy one. It is true that the original calls the law “our pedagogue,” but that word did not then have the meaning which it has now in our language. It cannot be denied that in the execution of his duties the ancient “pedagogue” might also impart some elementary and useful instruction on various matters, but that was not his primary function. In the figure here used the “pedagogue” is the man—generally a slave—in whose custody the slave-owner’s boys were placed, in order that this trusted servant might conduct them to and from school, and might, in fact, watch over their conduct throughout the day. He was, accordingly, an escort or attendant, and also at the same time a disciplinarian. The discipline which he exercised was often of a severe character, so that those placed under his guardianship would yearn for the day of freedom. And, as has been shown (see the explanation of verses 19, 22, and 23), that was exactly the function which the law had performed. It had been of a preparatory and disciplinary nature, readying the hearts of those under its tutelage for the eager acceptance of the gospel of justification (for which concept see on 2:15, 16) by faith in Christ.6
1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1983). Galatians (pp. 95–96). Moody Press.
2 Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 467). Zondervan Publishing House.
3 Rapa, R. K. (2008). Galatians. In T. Longman III &. Garland, David E. (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Revised Edition) (Vol. 11, p. 601). Zondervan.
Exodus 15:24 — Murmur is used 10 times in this passage, and this passage is the only time murmur is found in Exodus. Murmuring is not open, blatant rebellion; it’s a quiet grumbling – more like half-hearted obedience (or half-hearted disobedience). How do you think God feels about murmuring?
Exodus 16:15 — Manna will be feeding the Israelites from now until Joshua 5:12. It’s mentioned in Nehemiah 9:20 and Psalm 78:24. According to Hebrews 9:4, it was stored in the Ark of the Covenant. Jesus talked about it in John 6:31, John 6:49, and John 6:58. Wonder what it tastes like? Overcome and you can eat of the hidden manna (Revelation 2:17)!
Matthew 22:7 — About 40 years after they slew the Servant (Matthew 12:18), the armies of Titus burned up the city of Jerusalem.
Matthew 22:13 — John Bunyan footnotes this verse in Pilgrim’s Progress (Chapter 36: The Fearful End of Ignorance).
Matthew 22:19 — What did the coin look like? Probably like this:
Matthew 22:29 — Congratulations on being committed to not erring! The way you can avoid erring is by knowing the Scriptures; by the way, reading through the Bible is a great way to know the Scriptures!
9 “Pray, then, in this way:‘Our Father who is in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.10 Your kingdom come.Your will be done,On earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] Matthew 6:9-13 (LSB)
In this post we will look at the danger of “entering temptation.” There is no doubt that most believers walk in defeat in this battle much of the time. On top of the guilt and self-abhorrence that are natural products of Christians sinning, there is also the battle fatigue that comes upon them which results in more guilt simply for being “tempted” in the first place….
Of course, much of this can be blamed on faulty theology and an extreme drought in the area of teaching the Biblical truth about sin and temptation from our pulpits and Bible studies. To understand the danger of “entering temptation” we must first understand what it is and what it is not.
First, to our great relief, it is not merely to be tempted. Temptation will be our lot as long as we live in this age. It is impossible that Christians can be insulated from it that they would never be tempted. Satan is the god of this age. Within his power, the world is consumed with lust. Therefore, as long as we live in these bodies in this age, we will be tempted. Even our Lord Jesus Christ was tempted in every way that we are while in His earthly body. This made Him one like us except without sin. As hard as it is to grasp at times, the temptation we go through in this life is designed to conform us unto Christ’s likeness. In Luke 22:28 our Saviour called His ministry a time of trials or temptation. The Word of God in no place gives us a promise of absolute freedom from temptation. The best we have is found in the Lord’s Prayer that I placed at the top of this post. He commanded that we should pray for God to, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Instead of praying not to be tempted we are commanded to pray that we not “enter into temptation.” View article →
My copy of Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict, first published in 1972, still resides on my bookshelf. It has been a reliable source of information ever since my college days.
Just as the proof of Jesus’ resurrection and the Bible’s integrity leads us to an inescapable conclusion, so the evidence that we live in the last days demonstrates the nearness of the Lord’s intervention in the world. The signs unmistakably confirm the close proximity of the seven-year Tribulation and thus to the even sooner Rapture of the Church.
Similar to what Josh McDowell wrote in his book, when I place the weight of today’s signs, the evidence that we live in the last days, on a scale, they tip the balance overwhelmingly in favor of this being the last moments before we meet the Lord in the air.
Please allow me to take you through the mountain of evidence that allows for no other verdict than the one that says we live in the season of Jesus’ appearing.
The Soon Arrival of Daniel’s Seventieth Week
Israel’s miraculous reemergence as a nation in 1948 sets this era apart from all others since AD 70. In the early 1900s, many Christians mocked Bible teachers who predicted the future existence of the Jewish nation, but in 1948, it happened precisely in the ways God said it would happen (see Isaiah 66:8). Furthermore, Scripture predicted that most of the Jewish people in the revived Israeli state would reject Jesus as their Messiah until just before His return to the earth (Zechariah 12:10-13:1), which is exactly what we see today.
But there’s even more verification of Israel’s prophetic role in the last days.
Long ago, the prophet Daniel also wrote that a future “prince” would make a seven-year peace covenant with “the many,” which of course includes Israel (Daniel 9:27). In my article, The Biblical Necessity of the Seven-Year Tribulation, I demonstrate that Daniel’s seventieth week has never occurred in history, which means that according to Daniel 9:24, God’s purposes for the Jewish people and Jerusalem remain incomplete.
What does that have to do with today? Many of the world’s nations will meet at the UN during June 2-5, 2025, with the intent of imposing a two-state solution upon Israel via a seven or ten-year peace accord. The plan is to formally ratify this covenant when the UN meets in session during September 2025. The world’s obsession with Jerusalem, along with its plans to divide the Land, are precisely what the Lord said we would see in the last days (Zechariah 12:1-3; Joel 3:1-3).
How is it possible to ignore the world’s determination to divide the Land when it precisely mirrors what the Bible says will happen just before Jesus returns to the earth? The world’s mad rush to fulfill the words of Daniel 9:27 via a seven-year peace covenant alone tells us we live in the last days of human history before the seven-year Tribulation begins.
But there’s so much more!!
The Riders of the Apocalypse
I often think that it takes more faith to ignore the myriad of signs pointing to the approaching Tribulation than it does to recognize them for what they are. This is particularly true when it comes to what John wrote about the riders of the apocalypse in Revelation 6:1-8. Every time I write about our nearness to the fulfillment of these verses, I assume we can’t get much closer without them galloping across planet Earth. However, I’m frequently proven wrong as even more signs appear.
Consider the following brief listing of the evidence for the nearness of these conditions to occur:
Rider one, antichrist, rises to power while promoting peace. Klaus Schwab at the World Economic Forum (WEF) demonstrates how it’s possible to exert total control over many nations without firing a single shot or possessing an army.
Rider two spreads war across the planet. It’s rare that a day goes by when we don’t hear warnings of WWIII or of a devastating nuclear exchange with Russia, China, or North Korea. We hear such threats fill almost every day.
Rider three brings economic devastation. The collapse of the American economy under the massive government debt load should’ve happened several years ago. When it does, the entire world will experience conditions described in Revelation 6:5-6.
Preparations for the fourth rider, death, are well underway. Conditions are ripe for deaths of one-fourth of the world’s population via the means listed in Revelation 6:8.
I could write many paragraphs supporting the nearness of each one of these riders starting their trek across the earth and have done so in the past. The denial of the proof regarding the approaching Tribulation either stems from unbelief in the words of Scripture or an unhealthy obsession with the aspirations of this life. I wrote about those who ignore the many threats to our future well-being in Don’t Look Outside the Window.
Mark of the Beast Preparations
Perhaps the most astonishing testimony to the nearing of the prophesied Tribulation is that of the preparations for the beast system and his mark as described in Revelation 13. Fifty years ago, the beast’s ability to deceive the world in such a way and control worldwide buying and selling probably seemed like extreme science fiction to many, but that’s not the case anymore.
Not only is all the necessary technology readily available to exert such domination, but the globalists now brag that it will happen. They boast that a centralized Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) will someday give the government the ability to monitor and thus control all financial transactions.
As in the Days of Noah
When the Twelve heard Jesus compare the conditions before His coming with the “days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37-39), they scarcely could’ve imagined how today would resemble that ancient time.
What caused God to wipe out humanity apart from Noah and his family? In Genesis 6, we read about the extreme wickedness of mankind during this time, combined with “violence” that filled the earth. However, the Lord first lists the presence of the “Nephilim” as His motivation for bringing judgment upon all the earth. The Nephilim were giants who came into being through the union of fallen angels with the women of that day. Satan’s intent was to corrupt the DNA of all of humanity in order to prevent the birth of the One God promised would defeat him (Genesis 3:15).
Satan’s objective remains the same. It’s too late for him to stop the Messiah’s birth and subsequent death on the cross and resurrection. However, he is seeking to eliminate the human race through AI (Artificial Intelligence) and transhumanism in order to stop Jesus from returning to a repentant Israel and reigning over nations of humans with their DNA intact.
Just like the days of Noah, today we witness Satan’s repeated attempt to subvert the Lord’s purposes by eliminating humanity before He returns to rule over the nations. The Lord said His intervention into the world would begin in times precisely like these and that the timing of His return to Earth would save humanity from extinction (Matthew 24:22). We are fast approaching this tipping point.
Other Matthew 24 Signs
During the week before His crucifixion, the disciples asked Jesus about the signs concerning the end of the age and His Second Coming. His words concerning the soon destruction of the temple sparked their curiosity into these matters (Matthew 24:1-2). Jesus’ answer in Matthew 24:3-28 provides us with a roadmap into which many of the other New Testament prophecies fit.
Jesus’ words in verses 3-12 define our day in many ways; it’s as if He had a laptop and was reading to the Twelve from current news stories. The key is that these signs are the “beginning of birth pains” (v. 8). These things will continue to increase in intensity until they reach their peak during the coming day of wrath, which John describes with more detail in Revelation chapters 6-18.
In verses 15 to 28, Jesus describes the final three and a half years of the Tribulation, which will start with the antichrist’s desecration of the temple (Daniel 9:27; 12:11). Israel’s current passion to build the third temple points to the nearing future fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.
The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has spent the last forty years planning the construction of the temple that Jesus says will fulfill Daniel’s prophecy regarding its desecration. This group has prepared all the temple furnishings except the ark of the covenant, acquired the architectural designs needed to start construction, prepared all the robes for the priest and high priest, and has trained Levites to serve as priests in the temple. The nation of Israel is constructing infrastructure for its opening.
Many in Israel believe that President Trump will facilitate the temple’s construction.
The United Nation’s Unsatiable Quest for World Domination
At its annual meeting in September 2024, the member nations of the UN voted to greatly enhance the power of the UN in what they termed: “UN 2.0.” There’s a sense among the globalists that they must accelerate their efforts in order to complete the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 in the next five years.
The good news is that Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency and his withdrawal of America from the UN’s World Health Organization have, for the moment, continued to hinder their designs to enslave humanity.
The bad news for the world is that the Bible predicted long ago, in the books of Daniel and Revelation, that just such a New World Order will exist in the last days. It’s delayed, but only for the moment.
Paul wrote that in the last days, the Holy Spirit would restrain the antichrist until after Jesus appears to take us home (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). Isn’t it amazing that both the UN’s quest for world domination and their current frustrations at their lack of progress fulfill the words of Bible prophecy. What we see today is precisely what God’s Word predicted would happen in our day.
Deception
Pay close attention to the first words that Jesus spoke in response to the disciples, “See to it that no one deceives you” (24:4). I never thought I would see the level of deception and gaslighting that’s rampant in today’s world. The Internet, along with social media, has opened the floodgates for an outpouring of misinformation into the public domain. Jesus’ warning gains new relevance each and every day.
It boggles my mind that, according to the Bible, this will get much worse during the seven-year Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Revelation 13:1-14). What we see today verifies Jesus’ words, but it’s just the start of the deceit that will grow exponentially after our departure.
Lawlessness
Paul designates antichrist as “the man of lawlessness” in his prophetic passage depicting his rise to power during the last days (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). Although the Holy Spirit currently restrains both the antichrist and his upcoming tenure of anarchy, the apostle adds that “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (v. 7). We see this today like perhaps no other time in history.
Lawlessness in America now exceeds anything I once thought imaginable. Target and Walmart measure their shoplifting losses in the billions of dollars. How is that possible? In California, flash mobs routinely rob jewelry and clothing stores of merchandise worth tens of thousands of dollars. In San Francisco, the police don’t pursue and arrest thieves unless they steal more than $900 in merchandise. This is not going to end well!
But sadly, this is just the beginning of the mayhem that will characterize life in the Tribulation period. It is, however, enough to warn us that this day is rapidly approaching.
Blasphemy
The mocking of God that’s so prevalent today will reach its pinnacle during the final three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week:
“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven” (Revelation 13:5-6).
Through words, policies, and behavior, many celebrities, governors, other government officials, and various groups routinely ridicule both Jesus and His Word recorded in Scripture. This is preparing the world to tolerate the great blasphemy of God that will pour forth from the lips of the antichrist.
The Scoffing of our Blessed Hope
Sadly, the ridicule of our belief in the Rapture not only comes from those who reject the truth of God’s Word. Many Christians mock our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing. If you have ever expressed your belief in a pre-Tribulation Rapture, you have endured such scoffing. Long ago, the Apostle Peter wrote that this would be another sign, proof that the last days have arrived:
“Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
This day has arrived and is in full bloom.
The Coming Pole Shift
In Revelation 6:12-14, we find John’s eyewitness to what lies ahead for the world after the Rapture:
“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”
What evidence does this provide regarding the nearness of the last days? Prophecy watchers such as John Traczyk and geologists warn that a terrifying pole shift will happen in the not-too-distant future. The descriptive warnings of the experts as to what to expect are eerily similar to the description of events in Revelation 6:12-14.
According to scientists who track such things, the North Pole continues to move as it has done for decades.
The Verdict
The clear and convincing verdict given the evidence of the great many end-time signs of our day is this: Jesus will surely appear in the near future to take His Church up to Heaven, where He’s now preparing a place for us. We dare not predict the day or the hour, but given the evidence, we know these two things with absolute certainty:
Jesus’ surprising intrusion into the affairs of mankind will happen suddenly and unexpectedly (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; Matthew 24:43-44). The evidence before us shouts with the message that we live in the season of His appearing.
The Lord has already provided us with an abundance of evidence telling us that the start of the seven-day Tribulation is imminent and, with it, Jesus’ soon appearing.
The verdict is compelling and irrefutable for all those who believe that Scripture is indeed the Word of God and its words inerrant: we live in the last moments of human history that precede Jesus’ appearing to take us home to glory.
If you have not yet called upon the Savior in saving faith, please see my post, Jesus is the Only Path to Eternal life, where I explain how you can know that you have eternal life. The hour is late; please don’t delay in placing your future in His hands. Yes, people will turn to the Savior during the Tribulation, but you have no guarantee you will see that day.
If you believe that the next event in God’s prophetic calendar is Jesus’ end-of-the-age return to judge the ungodly and inaugurate the eternal state, please heed what the Bible says about Jesus’ appearing, the judgment that’s coming to the world, and His millennial reign. Place your hope in the words of Scripture, not human wisdom, which will surely fail you someday.
My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An Eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. In it, I lay a firm biblical foundation for our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing to take us home. Please consider purchasing it, especially if you have doubts concerning the pre-Tribulation Rapture.
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I cannot count the number of times (but it is a lot) that I have told someone that I believe we are getting close to the Rapture, and they said, “I don’t know about that, but I know that we are one day closer than we were yesterday.”
True! And it will be true every day right up to the day of the Rapture.
But whether I am right or wrong about our getting close to the Rapture, I must admit that those who say we are one day closer than we were yesterday strike me as not having much understanding of how current events are aligning with Bible prophecy.
I am not saying they are bad people, and I don’t believe they are.
But I am saying Jesus said we can know when we are close, and it seems obvious that they are not watching.
I may be reading too much into the re-election of Donald Trump, but it seems to me that Bible prophecy could be about to take a major leap forward.
Many expert Bible prophecy teachers believe the convergence of all the signs is the number one indicator that we are closer than ever to the Rapture and Second Coming.
All the signs are converging.
Those same expert Bible prophecy teachers say the second most important sign is the Fig Tree (Israel; Matt. 24:32).
The things that I am reading about Trump’s past relationship with Israel, the lovers of Israel that he has brought into his second presidency, his promises to Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu and Israel, etc., sound like they are coming right off the pages of the Bible.
I think they are screaming, ‘Get ready; we are closer than ever.’
Here are some of those things.
One, concerning worship on the Temple Mount: on Jan. 20, 2025, a group of Christian and Jewish worshippers gathered on the Temple Mount because they believe the dream of true religious freedom at Judaism’s holiest site appears closer than ever to becoming reality.
They prayed,
To highlight Trump’s unmatched record of support for Israel, including his bold recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital.
To pray for the success of Pres. Trump in his second term.
To ask for God’s help over the next four years of the Trump administration to start at the Temple Mount and extend Israeli sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria.
(My opinion: The freedom for Jews to worship on the Temple Mount will be a reality, but the Antichrist will put an end to it in the middle of the Tribulation Period; Dan. 9:27.)
Two, concerning Judea and Samaria: during her confirmation hearings on Jan. 1, 2025, Elice Stefanik, Trump’s nominee for Ambassador to the UN, was asked if she subscribes to the view of those who believe that Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank (Judea and Samaria).
Stefanik said, yes.
(My opinion: There will be a large number of Jews living in Judea when the Antichrist defiles the Temple at the middle of the Tribulation Period, and many will flee into the mountains; Matt. 24:15-16.)
Three, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Jan. 20, 2025, hundreds of people gathered at The Friends of Zion Museum in Israel to watch the inauguration of Pres. Trump.
The Museum founder, Mike Evans, a friend of Trump and Netanyahu, said,
We evangelicals believe in Genesis, where God says, I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee.
When America blesses Israel, God blesses America.
Evans also predicted significant developments in the region.
There’s no doubt Trump will support Israel in taking action against Iran, recognizing it as a mutual enemy of Israel and the West.
We will soon witness Saudi Arabia coming closer to Israel, and peace will expand, with Egypt contributing to the long-awaited change in the Middle East.
(My opinion: Israel taking action against Iran could trigger the Battle of Gog and Magog. Also, sudden destruction will come when people say peace and safety.)
(More: On Jan. 25, 2025, Pres. Trump released 1,800 one-ton bunker-buster bombs that the Biden administration had been withholding from Israel. When asked why Trump released them, Vice-Pres. Vance said because Israel bought them.)
(More: In a letter on Jan. 26, 2025 congratulating Pete Hegseth as the new U.S. Sec. of Defense, Israel’s Sec. of Defense said Israel may have to act against Iran in the coming months.)
Four, concerning the Two-State Solution: on Jan. 23, 2025, it was reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is willing to manage the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas war is over if the Palestinian Authority (PA) asks them to do so.
According to the report, the UAE is willing to rebuild Gazan society in such a way that it won’t pose a threat to Israel again.
Some officials think Israel might accept this because the UAE has:
Opposed radical Islam and Jihad in the past.
Opposed corruption in the PA and demanded reform.
Already overhauled its own education system to remove Islamist, anti-Israel, anti-Semitic content.
Operated hospitals and a desalination plant in Gaza.
(My opinion: This could fall through if the PA refuses to ask the UAE to take over the government of Gaza. Also, it is a mistake to overlook the fact that Bible prophecy teaches that God will drag the nations into the Battle of Armageddon for dividing the land of Israel at the end of the age.)
Five, On Jan. 23, 2025, Ken Ham (author, speaker, CEO, and founder of The Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter) had an excellent reminder that the Christian’s hope is in God, not Pres. Trump.
Ham said:
Americans are feeling hopeful.
But even as Christians rejoice in a new administration that will do more to promote righteousness and human flourishing than the previous one, we need to remember a vital truth: our hope is not in politics.
Yes, we can be thankful for the results of the election.
We can and should praise God for His mercy in sparing us another term of rabidly pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ, and anti-freedom leaders.
We should be thankful for the changes we’re already seeing in our culture and in major corporations as they walk back their woke policies.
But we must always view everything through the Biblical lens of the God who is sovereign over all and who calls us, whether things are “good” or “bad” in this nation, to be about his business until he returns.
(More: On Jan. 21, 2025, following his swearing-in ceremony as the new U.S. Sec. of State, former Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio said, “I want to end by thanking Almighty God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Jesus is Rubio’s hope, and Jesus is the Christian’s only hope.)
Six, concerning illegal immigration: as of Jan. 23, 2025 (three days after he was inaugurated), the U.S. had already arrested 538 illegal aliens and suspected terrorists.
Hundreds had already been deported on military aircraft.
According to Trump, a nation without borders is not a nation.
(More: On Jan. 22, 2025, it was reported that Pres. Trump has deployed 1,500 active-duty troops at America’s southern border and is preparing to deploy 2,000 more Marines to close it.)
Seven, concerning Hamas’ release of three hostages, on Jan. 23, 2025, highly regarded prophecy teacher Amir Tsarfati wrote:
Sunday saw the return of the first of the October 7 hostages who were promised to be released under the new ceasefire agreement. It was a time for joy and celebration, which was felt through all the cities and towns of Israel. However, it was a muted rejoicing for a couple of reasons. First, there are dozens more who are still being held captive by the Gazan terrorists. Second, we haven’t forgotten what started this whole horror. There is no gratitude felt toward Hamas for giving us back what rightly belongs to our nation. There is no recognition of mercy, no outpouring of thanksgiving. If someone steals my car, should I be thankful when they return it, dented and chipped? How much less so when we’re talking about the theft of people?
(More: It was recently reported that the U.S. believes that Hamas has recruited 10-15,000 new recruits to replace those that have been killed or captured.)
Eight, concerning an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters: the National Weather Service reported the following numbers for snow on Jan. 21, 2025:
Grand Coteau, Louisiana – 13.4″
Babbie, Alabama – 11.0″
Lafayette, Louisiana – 10.5″
Bay Springs, Florida – 10.0″
Milton, Florida – 9.8″
This was the largest snow on record for some areas.
(More: On Jan. 24, 2025, record-breaking wind (114 mph) left about 700,000 people in Ireland without electricity.)
Nine, concerning Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon: Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon agreed to a 60-day ceasefire during which time Hezbollah was supposed to withdraw its troops to the north side of the Litani River, the Lebanese army was supposed to take over the territory Hezbollah abandoned, and Israel was then supposed to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.
The 60 days were up on Jan 26, 2025, but the Lebanese army had not deployed its troops to take over the territory Hezbollah abandoned.
On Jan. 23, 2025, Israel said Lebanon had violated the agreement by not deploying troops, so Israel would not withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon.
(More: On Jan. 26, 2025, hundreds of flag-waving supporters of Hezbollah tried to break through Israeli roadblocks and go to villages near Israel’s border in southern Lebanon despite Israeli warnings to not do it. Lebanon reported that 22 people were killed and 124 were wounded before the others turned back.)
(More: On Jan. 26, 2025, it was reported that the Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon has been extended until Feb. 18, 2025. The ceasefire is contingent upon Hezbollah withdrawing its forces to the north side of the Litani River.)
Ten, concerning Israel expanding its borders at the end of the age: on Jan. 24, 2025, it was reported that Israel has now severed strategic sites on the Syrian side of Mt. Hermon.
During the six weeks that have passed since the fall of Assad’s government, Israel has cleared out land mines, widened a road going toward Damascus, taken over dozens of former Syrian positions, found a large number of abandoned Syrian weapons, and built a good facility for its own troops (showers, toilets, heating systems, a fully equipped kitchen, weather-appropriate bedding, furniture, clothing, and abundant provisions).
From observation posts on Mt. Hermon, on a clear day, Israeli troops can now see Damascus 15 miles away.
Eleven, concerning world government and the tracking of all buying and selling: on Jan. 23, 2025, Pres. Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal agencies from establishing, issuing, or promoting central bank digital currencies.
It is over my head, but Trump seems to favor a cryptocurrency. He has promised to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the planet, and he has established a working group to explore its regulation and use.
Twelve, concerning a seven-year covenant of peace with many that could possibly be confirmed (strengthened) by the Antichrist at a later date: in late October 2024, more than 90 nations (many nations), including representatives from the U.S. and Israel, met in Saudi Arabia to push for the creation of a Palestinian state.
This group of many nations called itself the Global Alliance.
The October meeting was quickly followed by two more meetings (on Nov. 11 and Nov. 24, 2024).
The reported goal of the Global Alliance is to put in place a seven-to-ten-year peace agreement that would divide the Land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem via a two-state solution.
Since those first three meetings, we have learned that the Global Alliance is planning to meet at the UN during the first week of June 2025 to draft a treaty that they hope to ratify in Sept. 2025.
We need to be careful about this.
It could eventually be the covenant the Antichrist confirms (strengthens), but we don’t know that, and we don’t know how much time will pass before he confirms a covenant (Dan. 9:27).
We know what the Global Alliance goal is, when the next meeting will be, what the Global Alliance hopes to pass, and when they want it to go into effect, but we do not know that they will get what they want, what Trump will do, or how Israel will respond.
We also know that power must be given to Ten global leaders and the Rapture must happen before the Antichrist confirms the 7-year treaty with many.
Anyway, the Tribulation period will begin when the Antichrist confirms a covenant with many for 7 years, and more than 90 nations have met and called for a covenant of peace for 7-10 years.
Let’s watch this carefully because it looks like it could be a very big deal, but let us not jump to conclusions.
Thirteen, concerning world government: on Jan. 23, 2025, on video Pres. Trump addressed the world’s most powerful globalist elites that had gathered in Davos, Switzerland for their annual World Economic Forum (WEF).
UN Sec. Gen. Guterres urged the nations to phase out fossil fuels, but Trump made it clear that the U.S. would increase its production and use of fossil fuels.
Trump added that he would ask OPEC and Saudi Arabia to cut the price of their oil and natural gas so nations would use more.
Trump’s predecessor Biden went all in on the Green New Deal, but Trump made it clear that he would not abide by the “Green New Scam.”
The WEF has strongly supported Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, but Trump said they are “absolute nonsense” and “America will be a merit-based country.”
And before he stopped, Trump told the WEF, “There are only two sexes, male and female.”
(My opinion: Nothing has to happen before the Rapture, but the UN must be restructured, the Ten Kings must appear before the Antichrist confirms the covenant, and that could happen very fast after the Restrainer is removed. Trump’s one-year notice that he is pulling out of the WHO, his sanctions on the ICC, his rejection of the WEF agenda, his decision to temporarily stop funding the UNRWA, etc., will force the UN to make some major changes.)
(BTW: I do not mean to suggest that Trump is not sincere about MAGA because I believe he is, and I am for that, but I believe his policies will force the globalists to make changes that will fulfill the Word of God.)
Fourteen, concerning tracking everyone: the Biden administration was in the process of hiring 88,000 new IRS agents and authorizing them to carry guns.
On Jan. 25, 2025, Trump said he is considering a decision to terminate all of them or to send them to the border with Mexico where help with border security is needed and their guns will be helpful.
Fifteen, concerning perilous times at the end of the age: on Jan. 28, 2024, scientists moved the hands on the doomsday clock to 89 seconds to midnight because of nuclear risks, climate change, biological threats, AI technology, etc.
FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).
Finally, are you Rapture Ready?
If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.
“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6).
It seems as if Christians are growing weaker in faith. In recent years, the Bible has been thought of as an outdated book that should be revised to keep up with the attitudes of modern times. The problem with that is the Bible is God’s word, and He never changes. People seem to think that God has changed His mind about sin, but He hasn’t. Even many Christians prefer sin over God’s ways. We need to conform to Him, not Him to us.
God is never surprised by the ideas of men, and He tells us history in advance so we can be forewarned. It’s up to us to learn from prophecy. Jesus dictated seven letters to John which were to be sent to seven churches. These letters were history in advance with each letter describing an age of the church.
To the church in Philadelphia, He wrote, “I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name”(Revelation 3:8).
This letter describes the time period known as the Great Awakening. People began to take Scripture seriously and reach out to share the Gospel. There was a revival of sorts among Christians, and God was pleased. A door was opened for evangelism and missionary work, but God knew they faced opposition. He also knew that they didn’t deny His name.
As this age grew old, the next age began. We are living in that age today…Laodicea. It describes a group of very weak believers who are lukewarm in their faith. They feel they have all they need in the riches of the world and have no passion for God’s truth. They will compromise His truth rather than not be politically correct. Jesus was not at all happy, and this type of “faith” makes Him sick.
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).
This group, as a whole, has rejected God’s truth, and their faith is in the world. There is hope. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me“ (Revelation 3:20).
He is knocking at the door of every heart. Will you open that door and let Him in? Let Him revive the Holy Spirit in you. Say to Jesus, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Revive me again.
We cannot hold fast to our sins and expect God to continue to bless us. Everybody receives blessings from God, such as sunshine and air, but if we use our time each day to live sinfully, He will spue us out of His mouth like so much lukewarm water.
“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:14-16).
We do live in times that challenge our faith. We have to choose whether to worship the god of this world and his demons or to worship the God of all creation who loves us. This isn’t a new choice but an important one.
Joshua challenged the Israelites to make a choice whether to worship the demons of Egypt or to worship God, who had parted the Red Sea, provided manna daily for food, and brought water from a rock for them to drink.
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
Every household needs a man like Joshua to lead it. Joshua wasn’t ashamed of his faith and knew where his strength came from. He was a leader who encouraged the Israelites to revive their faith in God.
How do we bring revival to our heart and soul? We put God first. We study His word and don’t compromise His truth.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
We can’t walk with one foot in the righteousness of God and the other foot in the world of sin and evil. God has always given humans a choice. His ways are the better ways to follow. From ancient times, He has given humans directions to a better way of life, but from the time of Adam and Eve, people make poor choices. We need to stand firm on God’s word and walk in His ways.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein” (Jeremiah 6:16).
God has done everything to give us eternal life with Him. Jesus, who is God, entered His creation. He lived a perfect life, showing love to all but never accepting the sin that destroys life. Still, most people say, “…We will not walk therein.” Humans always seem to want His blessings but not His rules. That attitude will never bring revival to your soul.
“O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).
We are living in a time of great spiritual unrest. Evil is becoming stronger, but God is above all and will grant revival to anyone who seeks Him. Repent of the sin that has a hold on you and allow God’s mercy and love to fall on you and cleanse you through and through. Let revival into your life.
Pride is a sin. Pride causes us to think that human ways are the best ways. Pride turns us away from God’s truth. Pride hampers revival. It was pride that caused Satan to fall, bringing evil into God’s perfect creation. Pride will always be opposed to God.
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).
What is the opposite of pride? Humility. God created all things. That means heaven, earth, animals, trees, and people. Don’t be fooled to think that evolution gave us all the amazing things we see and things we can’t see.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is a key to revival. With faith, you won’t be confused by the ways of the world and will trust God. I would encourage you to read and study Romans chapter 1. Rejecting God as the creator will bring His judgment, and we see that in our world today.
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Pride and sin cannot bring revival. Seek the Lord with all your heart, and let revival begin in your heart today. Share the Gospel with others. What stops you? Pride? Fear? Shame? Because men and women throughout time have stood strong in faith, we have Scripture today. These amazing people were beheaded, crucified, persecuted, and rejected. In spite of personal danger, they shared their faith and stood firmly and unashamedly upon God’s word.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
Paul said, “I am not ashamed,” meaning that he individually was not ashamed. It can be easier to have a group around you when you speak up for Christ, but if you individually aren’t ashamed, then speak up. You’ll find that the more you speak up, the more you will feel revived by God’s Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that allows revival in us. This was a promise from Jesus as He ascended into Heaven. The disciples had asked the Risen Lord about restoring the kingdom to Israel. Jesus told them it wasn’t for them to know. It will happen, but all of us must keep working for the Kingdom until all God’s prophecies are fulfilled. Jesus told them that they had a mission and would receive the Holy Spirit to help them.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Stop being ashamed, open the door to your heart, and allow the Holy Spirit to revive you.
Heavenly Father, help me to be humble and allow revival in my heart. May I allow the Holy Spirit to be my guide as I study Your word. Open my mouth to speak Your truth. Revive me again, O Lord. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.
A Prayer from Deitrich Bonhoeffer: I Cannot Do This Alone link
O God, early in the morning I cry to you. Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on you; I cannot do this alone. In me there is darkness, but with you there is light; I am lonely, but you do not leave me; I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help; I am restless, but with you there is peace. In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience; I do not understand your ways, but you know the way for me…. Restore me to liberty, and enable me to live now that I may answer before you and before men. Lord whatever this day may bring, Your name be praised. Amen.
A Prayer of Confession from the Worship Sourcebook link
God of mercy, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost. We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way. We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained and great when we are small. We have failed in live, neglected justice, and ignored your truth. Have mercy, O God, and forgive our sin. Return us to paths of righteousness through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
O merciful Father, do not consider what we have done against you; but what our blessed Savior has done for us. Don’t consider what we have made of ourselves, but what He is making of us for you our God. O that Christ may be “wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption” to every one of our souls. May His precious blood may cleanse us from all our sins, and your Holy Spirit renew and sanctify our souls. May He crucify our flesh with its passion and lusts, and cleanse all our brothers and sisters in Christ across the earth. Amen.
Now may the Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you, and give you peace, in your going out and in your coming in; in your sitting down and your rising up; in your work and in your play; in your joy and in your sorrow, in your laughter and in your tears; until that day comes wich is without dawn and without dark.” Amen
We live in a time when the line between ministry and business has become increasingly blurred. From lavish lifestyles to questionable financial practices, many ask, “Is this what Jesus intended when He called us to serve?”
An issue has raised eyebrows and sparked heated debates across congregations: the disturbing trend of so-called shepherds of the flock not serving in ministry for the right reasons.
Scripture warns us about the dangers of false teachers and unrepentant sin, emphasizing the importance of discernment and accountability within the body of Christ. Paul didn’t shy away from naming false teachers like Hymenaeus and Alexander in 1 Timothy 1:20, warning that their actions were shipwrecking the faith of others. He also called out Hymenaeus and Philetus in 2 Timothy 2:17 for spreading false teachings like a “gangrene.” In 2 Timothy 4:14-15, Paul warned and informed the church of the harm Alexander the coppersmith had caused him.
Similarly, in 3 John 1:9-10, the apostle John publicly identified Diotrephes, a leader in the church who was talking “wicked nonsense” and loved putting himself first instead of others.
These biblical examples make it clear that calling out sin isn’t about judgment or condemnation but about safeguarding the truth and protecting the spiritual integrity of God’s people.
I once came across this headline: “Financing a millionaire lifestyle: Pastors generate wealth from life, business coaching.” The article highlights Pastor Keith Craft as one of America’s wealthiest pastors. He charges an annual fee of $84,000 to participate in his Life Mastery Mastermind.
When you go to Pastor Craft’s Life Mastery website, it states in red, “Become a Master of every area of your life.” His podcast lists him as a “think coach” and “leadership transformationalist.”
What exactly does a “think coach” do, and why should Christians be concerned that some pastors are doing this and making a load of money? For starters, the Bible does not emphasize positive thinking and visualization. Many ‘think coaches’ emphasize suppressing or reducing negative emotions and experiences, which they say prevent a person from thinking and achieving positivity.
Yes, the Scriptures do not encourage us to tap within ourselves to achieve a higher state of positive thinking that generates inner power to overcome negativity. We are to look to Jesus and place our faith in Him, who strengthens and gives us peace. Jeremiah 17:9 clearly states, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” This verse serves as a potent reminder that depending only on our thoughts and desires can ultimately lead to confusion and deception.
Elsewhere, the apostle John cautions against the obsession with material desires, stating, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).
The truth is, these sorts of “positive thinking” or “mastermind” courses are more aligned with what is referred to as New Thought than biblical Christianity. The New Thought movement is a belief system from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that focuses on the idea that our thoughts can shape our reality. The concept emphasizes that positive thinking and visualization can potentially lead to the manifestation of desired outcomes.
Phineas Quimby, a prominent figure in the New Thought movement, was a mesmerist and healer who strongly advocated that false beliefs caused illness and suffering. Quimby’s teachings even influenced Mary Baker G. Eddy, the founder of Christian Science.
Prominent evangelical figures such as Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and T.D. Jakes have been known to promote a concept often called “positive faith” or the “prosperity gospel.” This belief emphasizes the power of optimistic thinking and affirmations and that God desires to bless His followers abundantly in all aspects of life, especially in finances.
While some view prosperity doctrine as uplifting, it has also sparked controversy within the Christian community. Critics argue that the prosperity doctrine, which equates financial prosperity with spiritual blessing, distorts biblical teachings and prioritizes earthly wealth over deeper spiritual truths. This blending of positive thinking with Christian doctrine has led to ongoing debates over whether it truly aligns with the core message of the Gospel.
What we see and ought to keep as our main priority as Christians (especially our pastors) is to preserve the Gospel, not taint it. Paul boldly writes, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-8).
Paul emphasizes the crucial role of pastors and church leaders in safeguarding the integrity of the gospel message. This responsibility includes identifying and addressing any attempts to misrepresent or distort the message.
The Bible stresses the importance of exposing and correcting false teachings prioritizing personal wealth over serving God and caring for others. It’s crucial to stay vigilant against those who “in their greed will exploit you with false words” (2 Peter 2:3).
As followers of Christ, it’s our responsibility to uphold God’s truth, exercise discernment, and speak out against those who distort or pervert the teachings of Scripture.
A persecution watchdog has released a new report that aims to fill a “gap” when it comes to fully reporting on the Christian persecution raging across the globe.
The family of Jesus served as key leaders in earliest Christianity until the second century. While their influence waned as Christianity expanded from Jerusalem, the relatives of Jesus, known as desposynoi, remained an important group within early Christianity until at least 250 AD. We have a surprising amount of historical information in both the New Testament and other historical documents that give us some insight into the family of Jesus.
In this article, I outline the key lines of evidence for the identity and influence of Jesus’s relatives in early Christianity.
The Brothers of Jesus (James, Joseph, Simon, Judas)
Other than his mother Mary, the most famous relatives of Jesus are his brothers. Paul mentions how the brothers of Jesus travelled as missionaries during the earliest centuries of Christianity (1 Cor 9:5). Likely, he has in mind Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Mark 6:3; Matt 13:55; see also Matt 12:46; Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19; John 2:12; 7:3–10; Acts 1:14). The latter is often known as Jude, the author of the Epistle of Jude. English translations prefer to call him Jude over Judas to avoid the implication that the betrayer of Christ wrote a New Testament letter.
The most famous brother of Jesus, James, wrote the Letter of James but also presided in Jerusalem as the key leader in the earliest decades (Acts 12:17; 15:13, 19; 21:18). He is so well-known that he can write his letter by simply calling himself, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). By contrast, Jude has to introduce himself as the brother of James so that people know who he is (Jude 1). Given his duties in Jerusalem, he may not have travelled as a missionary like the other brothers of Jesus. That said, nothing prevents him from travelling in and around Jerusalem as a missionary. So perhaps Paul does include him in 1 Corinthians 9:5.
James stands as one of the three pillars of early Christianity along with Peter and John (Gal 2:9). When Paul went to Jerusalem after his conversion, he only saw Peter and “James the Lord’s brother” (Gal 1:19). By this time, James already had a significant role in Jerusalem. At the Council of Jerusalem held in Acts 15, Paul, Barnabas, Peter, and the rest of the leaders even submit to James’s judgment regarding Gentile inclusion: “Brothers, listen to me … my judgment is…” (Acts 15:19). In this passage, James ties the reality of Gentile salvation to the Old Testament prophecy (Acts 15:13–18). Afterwards, when he makes his judgment, the church agrees, and so James’s proposal unites the church in its mission (Acts 15:22–35).
And when Paul desired to go to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles along with Barnabas, James along with Peter and John perceived the grace that was given to me” and so “they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Gal 2:9. James’s emphasis on the poor also appears in his letter (James 1:27–2:7), a teaching that he almost certainly received from his brother, Jesus (e.g., Matt 5:3).
The Letter of James—while sometimes overlooked and misunderstood—may be the most Jesusy book of the New Testament outside of the Gospels. Almost every sentence in James can be traced to a saying of Jesus in the Gospel books. James’s intimate knowledge of Jesus’s teaching shines throughout this epistle. Paul provides evidence of their ongoing relationship when he specifies that Jesus appeared to James in particular after his resurrection (1 Cor 15:7).
While the brothers of Jesus became key leaders of the earliest church, they did not always believe in him as John 7:5 tells us (also Mark 3:19–35; 6:1–6). Likely, it took the resurrection for his brothers to understand that he was not just a divine messianic figure, but that he was the Christ and Word from the Father. Hence, Acts 1:14 records that Mary and the Lord’s brothers prayed in the upper room as they awaited Pentecost. Later, his brother Jude would see him as God incarnate, leading Israel out of Egypt (Jude 1:5). Anecdotally, it seems to be of great import that Jesus’s unbelieving brothers would later affirm him as the Divine Christ, something that brothers would be unlikely to do unless Jesus demonstrated his messiahship with utter clarity. I can only think of the resurrection as an event that could do just that.
Because James regularly appears at the top of the list of the brothers of Jesus in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3, it seems likely that he was the oldest brother besides Jesus. Being the eldest brother may explain how James came to take such a senior role in the earliest Church. Yet the other brothers of Jesus also played roles that seem just as important as the apostles. When spoken of together, the brothers of the Lord appear alongside the apostles with the same sort of deference given to them (Acts 1:13–14; Gal 1:19; 2:9; 1 Cor 9:5).
As travelling missionaries, the brothers of Jesus held well-known role in the early church (1 Cor 9:5). Richard Bauckham points to a letter by Julius Africanus, which outlines the scope of their ministry: “During the first half of the third century, Julius Africanus, in his Letter to Aristides, wrote of the desposynoi [‘those who belong to the Master’]—a term which, he explains, was used to designate the relatives of Jesus—that they preserved their family genealogy and interpreted it wherever they went on their travels throughout Palestine” (Relatives 60-1; HE 1.17).
Their ministry thus centred on Palestine. Given what we know of James in Jerusalem and the Palestinian context of Jude’s letter such a location tracks with the biblical data. Further, reliable records point to Jesus’s nephew Symeon/Simon as succeeding James as the primary leader in Jerusalem, further evincing the Palestinian scope of their ministry (see the section on Jesus’s nephews below).
Julius Africanus explains that the brothers of the Lord “traveled from the Jewish villages of Nazareth and Cochaba over the rest of the land and explained the aforesaid genealogy from the book of daily records as far as they extended” (HE 1.7). That the relatives of Jesus were known as desposynoi, not the “brothers of the Lord,” signifies that this group likely included a wider range of relatives than just the biological brothers of Jesus such as his uncle Clopas and cousin Symeon (Relatives, 61–2).Subscribe
The Death of James
James died as a martyr in Jerusalem around 62 AD. According to the second-century historian Hegesippus whom Eusebius summarizes:
“The same author also describes the beginnings of the heresies of his time in these words: ‘And after James the Just suffered martyrdom, just as the Lord and for the same reason, Symeon, his cousin, the son of Clopas was appointed bishop, whom they all proposed because he was another cousin of the Lord.”[1] (HE 4.22)
Eusebius recounts how, along with the living apostles and other disciples, the relatives of the Lord whom he calls “the family of the Lord according to the flesh” gathered together to decide who would succeed James after his death. They “all unanimously decided that Symeon the son of Clopas, whom the writings of the Gospel mentioned was worthy of the throne of the diocese there. He was as they say, the cousin of the Saviour, for Hegesippus relates that Clopas was the brother of Joseph” (HE 3.11; see also 3.22).
In Book Five of his Memoirs, Hegesippus records in detail the martyrdom of James in the city of Jerusalem.
“The government of the Church passed to James, the brother of the Lord, together with the Apostles. He was called the “Just” by all from the time of the Lord even to our own, since many were called James, but this man was holy from his mother’s womb. He drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh; no razor passed over his head; he did not anoint himself with oil, and he did not use the bath. To this man alone was it permitted to enter the sanctuary, for he did not wear wool, but linen. He used to enter the Temple alone, and be found resting on his knees and praying for forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became as hard as those of a camel because of his constant bending forward on his knees in worshiping God and begging for forgiveness for the people. Because of his excessive righteousness he was called the Just and Oblias, which in Greek is “Bulwark of the people” and “Righteousness,” as the prophets disclose about him.” (HE 2.23)
Eusebius here in the story begins to summarize Hegesippus’s account before returning to direct citation:
So, some of the seven sects among the people, which I have already described in the Memoirs, asked of him what is the “door of Jesus,” and he said that this was the Saviour. Because of these words some believed that Jesus was the Christ. But the sects mentioned previously did not believe in a resurrection or in one coming to mete out to each according to his works, but as many as did believe did so because of James.
So, since many even of the rulers believed there was a commotion among the Jews and the Scribes and the Pharisees, who said that the whole people was in danger of looking for Jesus as the Christ, they therefore came together and said to James: “We beg you, restrain the people, for they have strayed to Jesus, as though He were the Christ. We beg you to persuade concerning Jesus all who have come for the day of the Passover, for we all obey you. For we and all the people testify to you that you are righteous and that you do not respect persons. Therefore, persuade the multitude not to be led astray regarding Jesus, for all the people and all of us obey you. So, stand upon the turret of the Temple that you may be visible on high and your words may be easily heard by all the people, for because of the Passover all the tribes, with the Gentiles also, have come together.”
Thus, the afore-mentioned Scribes and Pharisees made James stand on the turret of the Temple, and they cried out to him and said, “Oh, just one, to whom we all owe obedience, since the people go astray after Jesus who was crucified, tell what is the door of Jesus?”
And he answered with a loud voice: “Why do you ask me about the son of man? He is sitting in heaven on the right hand of the great power, and he shall come upon the clouds of heaven.”
And when many were fully satisfied and glorified in the testimony of James and said: “Hosanna to the Son of David,” then again the same Scribes and Pharisees said to one another: “We have done badly in furnishing Jesus with such testimony, but let us go up and cast him down that through fear they may not believe him.” And they cried out, saying: “Oh, Oh, even the just one has erred,” and they fulfilled the Scripture written in Isaias: “Let us take away the just man, because he is troublesome to us. Yet they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”
So they went up and cast down the Just, and they said to one another: “Let us stone James the Just,” and they began to stone him, since, though he had been cast down, he did not die, but he turned and with his knees on the ground said: “I beseech thee, Lord, God and Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
And while they were stoning him thus, one of the priests of the sons of Rechab, the son of Rechabim, who are mentioned by Jeremias the Prophet, cried out saying: “Stop! What are you doing? The Just is praying for you.” And someone among them, one of the laundrymen, took the club with which he beat out the clothes, and struck the Just upon the head, and thus he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him on the spot near the temple, and his gravestone still remains near the temple. This man became a true witness to Jews and Greeks that Jesus is the Christ.” (HE 2.23)
The Jewish historian Josephus independently records the death of James whom he rightly calls “the brother of Jesus” (Antiquities 20.200). Josephus adds that the high priest Ananus, a Sadducee, assembled the Sanhedrin to accuse James and others of law-breaking. They then sentenced James to be stoned (Antiquities 20.196–20).
Interestingly, some Jews did not find this action equitable and, Josephus records, complained to both King Agrippa and the new Procurator Albinus who had not yet arrived after the death of Festus (Antiquities 20.201–203). As Josephus tells us, Ananus lost his status as high priest over his execution sentence of James the Just, the brother of Jesus. Again, this independently confirms Hegesippus’s description of James as beloved among the people.
While we do not have similar records for the other brothers of Jesus, they remain well-known during the reign of Domitian (81–96 AD). So much so that informants report the grandsons of Judas as being guilty of being “of the race of David” (HE 3.20). Eusebius almost certainly quoting Hegesippus speaks of them as “grandsons of Judas … His brother according to the flesh.” Since they are known by the name of their grandfather, we can infer that Jude (or Judas) must have been well-known.
Are They Biological Brothers of Jesus?
In terms of how James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas are brothers of the Lord, three views explain their biological relationships to him:
· The Helvidian view: biological sons of Mary and Joseph, the view of most Protestants
· The Epiphanian view, biological sons of Joseph in his first marriage, the view of most early Greek fathers and the Eastern Orthodox Church today.
· The Hieronymian view: the first cousins of Jesus, the view of the Roman Catholic Church, associated with Jerome.
While it is not my intent to engage in polemics, only the first two views seem probable—the Helvidian or Epiphanian view. The latter has the benefit of allowing Mary to remain a perpetual virgin, a tradition venerable in the church, but one that the biblical text does not specify. Whatever view one selects, the Bible calls them brothers of the Lord, and that is how they are remembered.
One last note. Mark 15:40 may suggest that some of the brothers of Jesus were born from another Mary. But here James the Lesser is distinguished from other James, by the title “the Lesser.” The title thus distinguishes this James from the brother of Jesus. Bauckham explains, “We must conclude that for Mark it serves precisely to distinguish this James from the Lord’s brother to whom he refers in 6:3, and this James’ mother from the mother of Jesus” (Relatives, 14).
James and Jude on Jesus
While I do not intend to interpret the letters of James and Jude fully, it is worth highlighting their Christology—their view of their biological half-brother Jesus.
Jude calls himself a “slave of Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1) and says of Jesus that he is “our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:5; 1:21). Jude sees himself as par with other Christians using the word “our” to describe his relation alongside other believes to Jesus Christ. Further, he sees himself as a mere servant or slave of “our only Master and Lord” (also Jude 1:21).
Perhaps surprisingly, Jude speaks of Jesus not only as his Lord but as one who led Israel out of Egypt during the Exodus (Jude 1:5). Jude thus sees Jesus as pre-existing in his earthy sojourn as the Lord. And it is this Lord who not only led Israel of old into salvation but also leads us now into eternal life through his mercy (Jude 1:21).
And in an act of deep worship, Jude writes, “to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever” (Jude 1:25). That this glory comes to God through Jesus follow regular patterns of New Testament worship (e.g., Rom 11:36), in ways that elevate Jesus in ways inappropriate for any mere man; but Jesus is “our Lord.”
James likewise speaks of “the Lord Jesus Christ who he later calls “our Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1; 2:1). He also calls Jesus “the Lord of Glory” (James 2:1). Later, James seems to speak of God the Father as Lord when he says, “our Lord and Father” (James 3:9). But since he has called Jesus “our Lord” earlier, it seems more likely that he co-relates Jesus the Lord with God our Father—a striking claim! Especially when one notices that James then speaks of us being created in the likeness of God, a reference that grammatically seems to refer to “our Lord and Father.” But since the grammatical construction of this phrase signifies that the two names refer to the same subject (τὸν κύριον καὶ πατέρα), then it appears as if James uses grammar theologically to identify God as both Lord and Father akin to how Paul does so in 1 Corinthians 8:4–6.
Shockingly, James also describes the Lord Jesus as having the attributes that God the Lord claims for himself in Exodus 34:6–7 (James 5:11). No Palestinian Jew could have missed that allusion and the association of Jesus the merciful and compassionate Lord.
When it comes to the power of Jesus, the Lord of Glory (James 2:1), James advises a mindset that can claim: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). In context, James advises entrusting our future to the Lord instead of our own plans. But that implies that the Lord can guide our future, something appropriate for God to oversee, not a mere human.
Lastly, both Jude and James look forward to the Second Coming of the Lord (Jude 1:14; James 5:7, 8).
Much more could be said, but I will leave this brief exposition of James’s and Jude’s view of Jesus here and continue exploring the biblical and historical evidence for the family of the Lord.
Sisters of Jesus (Mary and Salome)
When one studies the names given to women in the first century in the region of Palestine, about one-half of all names were either Mary or Salome, perhaps due to their royal pedigree in the Hasmonean dynasty (e.g., Salome of Alexandra, Salome I, Mariamme the Hasmonean, Mariamne II).
According to the Gospel books, Jesus had sisters (Mark 6:3; Matt 13:56). “Of the names which later tradition gives to sisters of Jesus,” Bauckham explains, “the best attested are Mary and Salome” (Relatives, 8). It is possible that he had more sisters, but these are the two whose names we can be reasonably sure of. “These [names[ are given by Epiphanius (78:8:1; 78:9:6; cf. Ancoratus 60:1) as the names of the two daughters of Joseph by his first wife” (Bauckham Relatives, 37).
Since the names of the two sisters appear in different orders, we probably cannot be reasonably certain which of the two was the older sister.[2]
The Earthly Father of Jesus (Joseph)
Joseph is called Jesus’s father three times in the Gospels (Luke 3:23; 4:22; John 6:42), and only in one place is he called a carpenter (Matt 13:55), a trade that Jesus himself seems to have engaged in (Mark 6:3). While many assume that he died early in Jesus’s life, because he does not reappear after the birth narrative, that does not seem like a strong argument.
The Gospel writers only include what is relevant to the Gospel story they are telling. We only learn, for example, of Jesus’s uncle and aunt at the cross in John 19:25. But apparently, they had followed Jesus for some time.
The Earthly Mother of Jesus (Mary)
I will only give a few comments about Mary because she might be the most studied relative of Jesus in the Christian church, given her high status as the Mother of the Lord. And also, it would take many hours of research and many words to write. In other words, it would take a discrete article to fully explain the historical details we know of Mary. Instead, here I focus on some key elements that show how Mary relates to the disciples of Jesus in the early church.
First, Jesus brings Mary his mother into a new adoptive relationship with the beloved disciple, John, in John 19:26–27: “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
Almost certainly John includes this detail, not for sentimentalism, but to signify by this act a new spiritual reality in which Christ’s family will expand through adoption.
Second, Acts 1:14 tells us that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, remained active in the earliest Church. We can reasonably infer that she continued to do so.
The Aunt and Uncle of Jesus (Mary, Clopas)
John 19:25 names Clopas and his wife as the uncle and aunt of Jesus, probably on Joseph’s side, since it seems unlikely for Mary to have a blood sister named Mary. Hence, the two Marys would be sister-in-laws. Hegesippus confirms this interpretation by explicitly saying that Clopas was related to Jesus “according to the flesh” (HE 3.11). Of Clopas’s mention in John 19:25, Bauckham writes:
“Clopas, since he is named, must have been a known figure in the early church. There is therefore little room for doubt that he is the Clopas to whom Hegesippus refers, as the brother of Joseph and therefore uncle of Jesus, and the father of Symeon or Simon who succeeded James the Lord’s brother in the leadership of the Jerusalem church (Hegesippus, ap. Eusebius, HE 3:11; 3:32:6; 4:22:4)” (Relatives, 16).
Luke 24:18 possibly speaks of the same Cleopas (a variant of the name Clopas) mentioned in John 19:25. Cleopas and Clopas are the same name with a slightly different spelling, a normal phenomenon (Bauckham, Relatives, 17). In that case, Cleopas was Jesus’s uncle! That means Jesus appears to Cleopas his uncle on the road to Emmaus along with a biblically unnamed disciple who traditionally is remembered as having the name of Simon.
Depending on how one interprets Luke 1:36, Elizabeth and Zechariah may also be an aunt and uncle of Jesus. Their story is well-known and passed over here for that reason.
TheCousins of Jesus (John the Baptist, Symeon/Simon)
John the Baptist is the most famous cousin of Jesus. His mother Elizabeth is a relative of Mary (along with Zecharias) according to Luke 1:36. Born six months before his famous cousin, John played a key role in the early Jesus movement. While his story is known in the Bible, another cousin of Jesus, Symeon, has almost been forgotten today. Since many know the story of John the Baptist, I will skip over the bounty of information we have to focus on the lesser-known cousin of Jesus, Symeon.
As noted, Symeon succeeded James as the prime leader in Jerusalem. As Hegesippus explains, “Symeon, his cousin, the son of Clopas was appointed bishop, whom they all proposed because he was another cousin of the Lord” (HE 4.22).
Eusebius reports that he retained this role until the time of Trajan (r. 98–117 AD). Hegesippus records: “Some of these, clearly the heretics, accused Simon, the son of Clopas, on the ground that he was a descendant of David and a Christian,and so he suffered martyrdom when he was a hundred and twenty years of age, while Trajan was emperor and Atticus governor” (HE 3.32).
Since Symeon was not a Roman Citizen, he underwent torture and eventual crucifixion (HE 3.32). While not impossible that Symeon died at the age of 120, Hegesippus may simply use this number to refer to old age, someone at the upper limit of life given that 120 years represents the full life of a human (e.g., Gen 6:3).
Grandsons of Judas, the Brother of Jesus (Zoker, James)
Hegesippus records that at the end of the first century, “There still survived of the race of the Lord grandsons of Judas who was said to have been His brother according to the flesh” (HE 3.20). These would be the great-great nephews of Jesus through his brother Jude or Judas. Their names were Zoker and James. [3]
Being informed against due to their being of “the race of David,” evocatus (volunteer soldiers) arrested them and brought them before Emperor Domitian (d. 96 AD). The emperor forced them into an interview, seeking to understand what the kingdom of Christ was (its nature, location, and timing).
Zoker and James answered by saying: “it was neither of the world nor earthly, but heavenly and angelic, and would appear at the end of the world, when He would come in glory to judge the living and the dead and to give unto every one according to his works” (HE 3.20).
Due to their rural stations and relative harmlessness, Domitian released them. “Domitian did not condemn them for this, but looked down upon them as simple folk, let them go free, and by a decree put an end to the persecution against the Church” (HE 3.20).
Like other relatives of Jesus, they apparently functioned as leaders in the early Jesus movement. Hegesippus explains, “But when they were released they guided the churches, since they were witnesses and relatives of the Lord, and after peace was established they remained alive until the time of Trajan” (HE 3.20).
A number of Jewish texts also seem to refer to James, the grandson of Judas, the brother of Jesus. For example, Tosephta tractate Hullin 2:24 records R. Eliezer encountering a famous Christian by name of James (i.e. Jacob) who lived in the region of the desposynoi, those who trace their family line to Jesus.
R. Eliezer was suspected and thus arrested for heresy (mînût). Apparently, he was innocent of the charge, but he came dangerously close by encountering a man named Jacob (i.e., James). As the tractate explains:
R. Aqiba came in and said to him, ‘Rabbi, shall I say to you why you are perhaps grieving?’ He said to him, ‘Say on.’ He said to him, (C) ‘Perhaps one of the mînîm has said to you a word of mînût and it has pleased you.’ He said, ‘By heaven, you have reminded me! (D) Once I was walking along the street of Sepphoris, and I met Jacob of Kephar Sikhnin, and he said to me a word of mînût in the name of Yēšûaʿ ben Pnṭyry, and it pleased me. (F) And I was arrested for words of mînût because I transgressed the words of Torah, Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, for many a victim has she laid low [Prov 5:8; 7:26].’ (H) And R. Eliezer used to say, ‘Ever let a man flee from what is hateful, and from that which resembles what is hateful.’ (Tosephta tractate Hullin 2:24; cited in Bauckham, Relatives, 107)
The name Yēšûaʿ ben Pnṭyry refers to Jesus, and in Jewish polemic of that time, they occasionally said he was the son of Pnṭyry—perhaps a Roman soldier (Origen, c. Cels. 1:32). The point is to discredit his birth. Jacob here would be the grandson of Jude, the brother of Jesus, because of the timeframe and location (Kephar Sikhnin). Further, that Jacob was a mînût, given his confession of Jesus, would make sense.
Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:8:3 (a midrash on Ecclesiastes) also includes this story. But the midrashic text includes more details on what Jacob said that pleased R. Eliezer:
viz. “It is written in your Torah, You shall not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow [Deut 23:18]. What is to be done with them?” I told him that they were prohibited [for every use]. He said to me, “They are prohibited as an offering, but is it permissible to destroy them?” I retorted, “In that case, what is to be done with them?” He said to me, “Let bath-houses and privies be made with them.” I exclaimed, “You have said an excellent thing,” and the law [not to listen to the words of a mîn] escaped my memory at the time. When he saw that I acknowledged his words, he added, “Thus said Yēšû ben Pndr’’: From filth they came and on filth they should be expended; as it is said, From the hire of a harlot she gathered them, and to the hire of a harlot they shall return [Mic 1:7]. Let them be spent on privies for the public,” and the thought pleased me. (trans. Bauckham, 107–8).
Babylonian Talmud tractate ‘Abodah Zarah 16b–17a also records the story in very similar ways to Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:8:3. A key difference is that the name of Jesus here is Yēšû han-nôṣrî, not Yēšûaʿ ben Pnṭyry as in Tosephta tractate Hullin 2:24.
Each of the three accounts, however, tells almost the same story. R. Eliezer listens the words of a mîn. And even though the mîn speaks truly, one cannot find his words pleasing. That breaks a law, apparently derived from Proverbs 5:8 (and connected to 7:26).
The story works well because the mîn in question was very well known. As Bauckham explains, “That Jacob of Sikhnin was a well-known Jewish Christian teacher is the only accurate information which need be presupposed for the purpose of the story” (Relatives, 114).
While we cannot be certain that this Jacob (James) was the grandson of Jude, given the location, timeline, and assumption of fame that Jacob had, it seems possible that Jacob of Sikhnin was the grandson of Jude, the brother of Jesus.
Other Family Records
As the second century comes to a close, the story of the desposynoi slowly recedes from Christian imagination. Still, their memory lives on in the church. For example, Bauckham recounts:
“In the list, given in medieval chronicles, of the early bishops of Ctesiphon-Seleucia on the Tigris, in central Mesopotamia, the three names following that of Mari, the late first-century founder of the church, are Abris, Abraham and Yaʿqub (James). Abris is said to have been ‘of the family and race of Joseph’ the husband of Mary, while Abraham was ‘of the kin of James called a brother of the Lord’ and Yaʿqub was Abraham’s son.” (Relatives, 68–9)
The last relative of Jesus in the historical record that I know of is Conon the Gardener. During the Decian persecution of the church in 249–251 AD, Conon received his crown of glory in martyrdom. A native of Nazareth, Conon claims to be part of the family of Christ according to flesh. He claims:
“I am of the city of Nazareth in Galilee, I am of the family (συγγένεια) of Christ, whose worship I have inherited from my ancestors, and whom I recognize as God over all things” (Mart. Canon 4.2; cited in Bauckham, Relatives, 122).
We might imagine then that the desposynoi still exist in the third century, although we hear increasingly less about them. The memory of Jesus’s relatives remains important to Christians, but the church did not rely on the relatives of Jesus for its ongoing strength in later centuries.
Conclusion
The family of Jesus played a key role in earliest Christianity. As the Church grew, the desposynoi remembered their relation to Jesus according to the flesh. Some among them like the grandsons of Jude continued to lead locally the church as part of Palestinian Christianity.
While this article did not spend time on Mary and John the Baptist, it did outline details about the famous brothers of Jesus—James and Jude. Not only did their writings appear in the New Testament, but James the Just had a role similar to the apostles. His nephew Symeon would succeed James in Jerusalem before his untimely crucifixion.
Much more could be said, but suffice it to say that the relatives of Jesus followed him as their resurrected Lord and Saviour. That alone should fascinate us!
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[1] Bauckham translates this passage more literally but to the same effect: Bauckham: “And after James the Just had suffered martyrdom, as had also the Lord, on the same account, the son of his [i.e., probably, James’] uncle, Symeon the son of Clopas, was next appointed bishop, whom, since he was a cousin of the Lord, they all put forward as the second [bishop]” (Relatives, 24).
[2] “In Epiphanius, 78:8:1 the order is Mary, Salome; in 78:9:6 the order is Salome, Mary” (Relatives, 37fn117)
[3] Richard Bauckham highlights an ancient summary of Hegesippus in which we learn that these relatives had the names of Zoker and James: “When Domitian spoke with the sons of Jude the brother of the Lord and learned of the virtue of the men, he brought to an end the persecution against us. Hegesippus also reports their names, and says that one was called Zoker (Ζωκήρ) and the other James (Ἰάκωβος).” Relatives, 97. Trans. from Paris MS 1555A, printed in Cramer (1839) 88, and Bodleian MS Barocc. 142, printed in de Boor (1889) 169. Lawlor (1917) 41–42, gives the text alongside HE3:17–20, indicating the verbal agreements. Epiphanius Monachus, De vita B. Virg. 14 [PG 120:204] also agrees with the names are Zoker and James.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
Have we modern men and women never given thought or meditation concerning the eternal nature of God? Who are we to imagine that we are “bailing out” the living God when we drop a $10 bill in the Sunday offering plate?
Let us thank God for the reality of His causeless existence. Our God only is all-sufficient, uncreated, unborn, the living and eternal and self-existent God!
I refer often to the great worshiping heart of Frederick William Faber, who in these words celebrated his vision of God’s eternal self-existence:
Father! the sweetest, dearest Name,
That men or angels know!
Fountain of life, that had no fount
From which itself could flow.
Thy vastness is not young or old,
Thy life hath never grown;
No time can measure out Thy days,
No space can make Thy throne!
Dear Heavenly Father, my daily problems must seem so trivial to You, the eternal God. Yet You invite Your children to bring their cares and concerns to You. Praise be to God!
Tozer, A. W. (2015). Mornings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Moody Publishers.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
—Hebrews 11:6
A loving Personality dominates the Bible, walking among the trees of the garden and breathing fragrance over every scene. Always a living Person is present, speaking, pleading, loving, working and manifesting Himself whenever and wherever His people have the receptivity necessary to receive the manifestation….
But why do the very ransomed children of God themselves know so little of that habitual, conscious communion with God which Scripture offers? The answer is because of our chronic unbelief. Faith enables our spiritual sense to function. Where faith is defective the result will be inward insensibility and numbness toward spiritual things. This is the condition of vast numbers of Christians today. No proof is necessary to support that statement. We have but to converse with the first Christian we meet or enter the first church we find open to acquire all the proof we need.
A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it. God Himself is here waiting our response to His presence. This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon its reality. POG048-050
Lord, give me faith to believe, to see, to know Your awesome Presence and bring Your spiritual kingdom alive in my life. Amen.
Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Moody Publishers.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16, KJV
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6–8, NIV
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:3–5, NASB
To God be the glory! great things He hath done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son; Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord! praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son: And give Him the glory! great things He hath done! Frances Jane Van Alstyne, 1820–1915
Manser, M., ed. (2015). Daily Guidance (p. 42). Martin Manser.
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
2 PETER 3:18
Spiritual growth is not mystical, sentimental, devotional, or psychological. It’s not the result of some clever secret or formula. It is simply matching your practice with your position. As believers, our position in Christ is perfect: we are complete in Him (Col. 2:10); we have all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3); and we have received all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3). But now we need to progress in our daily lives in a way that is commensurate with our exalted position. Today’s verse provides the most important concept in understanding and experiencing spiritual growth. Giving glory to God is directly related to spiritual growth. Therefore, it is vital that we understand what it means to glorify Him.
MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : a daily touch of God’s grace (p. 44). J. Countryman.
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