A Primary Sign “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:32,33). by David Rice The metaphor that Jesus draws for us in these words is about the approach of the Kingdom. When Matthew records that Jesus said “it is near,” Jesus meant that the Kingdom […]
The Final Troubles, Matthew 24:29-31 “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). by David Rice Listen to audio The text above refers to the closing work of the present harvest of the Gospel Age. Christ has been present since the opening of the harvest in 1874, […]
Fourteen Days of Peril Not long after, there arose … a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon … and when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive” (Acts 27:14,15). by David Rice Listen to Audio: For some years, the history narrated in Acts has engaged our attention as containing pictorial lessons about the progress of the Gospel through the age. For example, the martyrdom of Stephen under Jewish hands, the death of James by Herod, […]
Revelation 17, 18 “Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth” (Revelation 17:5). by David Rice Listen to audio Revelation comes in three main divisions — the Gospel Age (chapters 1-13), the Harvest (chapters 14-19), and the Kingdom (chapters 20-22). Each of these has four subdivisions. Following is a brief breakdown, for a sense of the overall plan of the book. There is some overlapping between these segments, for the […]
A Long-Standing Error “And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh” (Judges 18:31). by David Rice Listen to audio After the narrative about Samson, the book of Judges appends three narratives that do not pertain to any particular judge. These narratives occurred earlier in the sequence of Judges, before Samson. However, they are appended at the end of the book, followed by the story of Ruth, before proceeding […]