Six Hours “From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:45). — David Rice The death of Jesus at Calvary provided the Ransom price for mankind. Jesus yielded his life to pay the death penalty for Adam. As mankind has the condemned life of Adam passed down to them through inheritance, by redeeming the life of Adam, mankind is redeemed as well. That Jesus was placed on the cross for his final experience, and […]
Memorial “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses, for if any one eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:15, scriptures from RSV). — Jeff Earl For the Passover celebration, God instructed the Israelites to eat unleavened bread for seven days and to remove leaven from their homes. Why did they need to do this? […]
Final Lessons “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). — David Stein During this memorial season, as we recall Jesus’ great sacrifice, let us look inward and be more determined to fully walk in his footsteps. Let us rededicate to sacrificing ourselves and our own interests, and instead, focus our energies on the blessing of others. As we reflect on the experiences of our Lord, let us consider some […]
The First Gospel Age Calamity (AD 70) “When ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand” (Luke 21:20. Scriptures from NAS77, unless otherwise noted). — Kome Ajise Jerusalem stands out as the most prominent city in the Bible and one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited urban centers. Its enduring relevance extends beyond scriptural texts, remaining a focal point even in contemporary news and religious discourse. The fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 represents a decisive […]
Rise of Imperial “Christian” Rome “The great dragon was hurled down –– that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (Revelation 12:9 NIV). — Keith Belhumeur he fall of the Pagan Roman Empire was a process that occurred over several hundred years, culminating in the 4th century, when Christianity became the official religion of the empire. Thus, the pagan empire transitioned to an Imperial Christian […]