What Does 666 Mean? A Bible Study

What does the number 666 in Revelation mean?  Who is the dragon?  Who is the Beast and what is the mark of the beast?

The book of Revelation is an enigma to many.  In the first place it is not the Revelation of the Apostle John.  It is Jesus Christ’s revelation to John who in turn recorded it for our sakes.  Revelation 1:1-2 says that it is “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him [John] to show his servants [the church] what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” So the book of Revelation is not of human origin and this includes the Apostle John – it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ given to John. But what is this mark of the beast and the number 666 speaking about in Revelation chapter 13?

The Dragon

Revelation 13:1 says that “The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.”  The dragon is none other than Satan himself.  He is called a dragon many times in the Bible.  In Revelation 20:2 this is made clear: “He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”

The Beast

The beast combines features from four beasts (Dan. 7:1-8, 17-27) and represents idolatrous kingdoms.  The beast could also represent the Antichrist.  Now several antichrists are mentioned by John in his letters (1 John 2:18, 2 John 1:7).  But there is a difference between antichrists (small “a”) and the Antichrist (capital “A”).  The antichrist (small “a”) is anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ and is God as John says in 2 John 1:7, “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”  And in 1 John 2:18, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.”  Since there are “many antichrists” coming, this means that this is not the antichrist John mentions in Revelation 13.  This is understood to be true because many antichrists had already come in John’s day (2 John 2:18).

The Antichrist has also been called the “man of lawlessness” or sin and is mentioned by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-11 where he speaks of the last days just before Christ‘s return, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,  not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.  Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness [sin] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God [see Revelation 13:4 & 8].  Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 1and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.”

The “one who now holds it back” I believe is the Holy Spirit and the Spirit must be taken out of the way, with what most believe will be the church’s rapture, before the man of sin (or the Antichrist) is revealed.  Satan is the power behind this beast which could be an end-times ruler of evil and darkness (Rev 13:2).  This beast will have such power that he will control the world’s market and the ability for anyone to purchase or sell anything (Rev 13:17).

666 – The Mark of the Beast

The beast apparently can control who can and cannot buy and sell.  If they do not have the beast’s mark, then they have no power to buy or sell since “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads” (Rev 13:16).   This mark was “so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man [literally the number of humanity]. That number is 666” (Rev 13:17-18).   The number 666 falls one short of God’s number of perfection which is 7.  This number is like a false trinity of sinful origin and reflects an imperfection times three.

Many people have falsely had the number 666 assigned to someone or others by using the old Roman Numerals system where X = 10, V = 5 and so on.  Over the years many have tried to take the letters of human leader’s names and total their numbers to six hundred and sixty-six. These attempts have obviously been wrong.  They ascribed this mark or number to various Popes, to Hitler, and to Rome itself (in the manner using “Latin Man”) but to no avail.  The number 666 may simply be a number like everyone has for their Social Security card or their driver’s license and this same number will need to be memorized (thus on their forehead) or be implanted in their hand somewhere (Rev 13:16).  No one is certain about this but the number is of human origin.  The main thing is that the number 666 is anti-Christ or anti-God and is supremely carnal and sinful.  The source of this number and all evil in the world is Satan or the Devil (Rev 12:9).

Because the Bible reveals so little about the number 666 it is unwise for me to speculate.  The important thing is that anyone who is not Christ’s is susceptible to this beast and the Antichrist but those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life have nothing to fear from the beast nor anything to worry about the number 666 and having the mark of the beast be on them (Rev 13:8).

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Ten Characteristics of the Anti-Christ According to the Bible

What are the characteristics of the anti-Christ?  Are there some people alive that have these characteristics already?  How can we identify the anti-Christ by his attributes?

What is an Anti-Christ?

The word “anti” means to be opposed to or to be the opposite of.  You could say that anything that has the prefix “anti” on it is against what it is attached to.  The word “anti” literally means to be opposed too.  Like the word antibacterial means that the substance attacks bacteria or is against bacteria.  So the anti-Christ attacks anything about Christ; His message, His person, His character.  There are many anti-Christ’s out there today and there always have been since the time of Christ on earth.  This is nothing new today.  The fact that there are anti-Christ’s, lower-case “a”, has nothing to do with the Anti-Christ, upper-case “A.”  There are many anti-Christs but there is only one Anti-Christ.

The Differences between the Anti-Christ and an anti-Christ

The apostle John, among other writers in the New Testament, mentions certain characteristics of the anti-Christ.  In the first place, there is the Anti-Christ with a capital “A.”  There were also many anti-Christ’s in the world at the time of the New Testament church with a lower-case “a.”  What is the difference between these two?  Did the writers of the New Testament make a mistake in their choosing between a lower-case “a” and an upper-case “A?”  No, they were simply pointing out that anyone that opposes, for example, the divinity of Christ is an anti-Christ.  There are many out there today who are anti-Christ’s in that they deny the deity of Jesus Christ who is God (John 1).  Unbelievably, many who graduate from seminary deny that Jesus was fully God and fully man.  These, by definition, are anti-Christ’s.  Atheists could be said to be anti-Christ because they do not believe in God and thus Jesus Christ as God and so they stand condemned (John 3:18).  The anti-Christ is not one person but a spirit of anti-Christ and so we know that there are many anti-Christ’s but it is the spirit of anti-Christ that lives within humans and not a specific person (2 John 4:3).

In 1 John 2:18 John makes a distinction regarding the anti-Christ as he wrote, “Children it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”  Here John states that there are many anti-Christ’s and that “you have heard that anti-Christ is coming.”  John continues in verse 22, “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist-denying the Father and the Son.”  Here again the identity of the lower-cast anti-Christ is anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ.  The Christ means the “anointed One of God.”  As John says, whoever denies Jesus as the Christ, or as the Messiah, denies the Father and the Son and this person and these people are the anti-Christ’s.”  There are many anti-Christ’s out there today just as there were in John’s day.  But the anti-Christ is not the same as the Anti-Christ, upper-case “A.”

The characteristics of anti-Christ’s are whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the Messiah or that He is fully God.  The world has no shortage of anti-Christ’s.  Their characteristics are that they also deny His virgin birth, His resurrection, His living a sinless life, and that He will return again to judge the world.  For the believer, He will come as their King.  For those who reject His gospel, He will come as their Judge (Rev 20).  Either way, everyone will bow the knee and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord.as a condemned sinner or a resurrected or glorified saint (Rom 14:11, Phil 2:10).

The Characteristics of the Anti-Christ

Paul spoke of one man as being the man of lawlessness (2 Thes 2:3-4).  Since we know the difference between the many anti-Christs and the Anti-Christ, let’s look at Scripture to identify ten characteristics of the Anti-Christ.  Some theologians say that there are up to 37 characteristics of the Anti-Christ’s so we know that there are more than ten but we will only look at the most obvious of these ten, although you may think of different ones other than those mentioned here.

He Will Blaspheme God

Many of these same characteristics of the one Anti-Christ are also held by the many anti-Christ’s.  One of the greatest of these characteristics is that he will blaspheme the holy name of God.  In Revelation 13:6 it says, “And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.“  Many who are unbelievers blaspheme God too when they use God’s name as a swear word. This includes the vain use of Jesus’ name as it is written in Exodus 20:7 (and several other places), “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” In fact Jesus warned that every idle word that men and women speak they will have to give an account for in the Day of Judgment.  Let that sink in.every idle word!  That includes every word that is used with God’s name in useless, vain or even casual speaking like “Oh my God!”

He Claims to be God and is Worshiped

A strong characteristic is that the Anti-Christ will seek to be worshpped like God is as Paul writes, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God“(2 Thes 2:3-4).  This Anti-Christ is identified as the “man of lawlessness” and will not appear until the “rebellion” occurs (Rev 17).  This man is supposed to come to power during the Tribulation and he will set in the temple of God to proclaim himself as God.

He Will Display Miraculous Powers

Paul knew that this man of lawlessness would dazzle those who are deceived and that is why many will worship him.  In 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 Paul writes that  “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”  The sad fact is that people will be so far removed from knowing Jesus Christ that they won’t recognize the true God from the false one.  These powers are also mentioned in Revelation 13:13 as he “performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven, to the earth in full view of the people.”  The difference is Jesus never performed miracles to draw attention to Himself but to glorify God.  The Anti-Christ will try and draw glory to himself with miracles (John 4:48).

The Anti-Christ Comes Back to Life

Just like Jesus Christ died on the cross and was resurrected, the Anti-Christ will recover from what was considered a mortal wound.  After this happened he “ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived“ (Rev 13:14).  What a feat that will cause many to be motivated by the sight of this “fatal wound [that] had been healed“; so much so that many will worship him (Rev 13:12).  This is imitating Jesus Christ again for even the disciple Thomas doubted that Jesus could recover from the death at His crucifixion but when he saw the resurrected Christ he confirmed that Jesus was Lord and God (John 20:28).

The Anti-Christ Rules in Full Authority

The Anti-Christ, again mimicking Jesus sovereignty, will rule for 42 months over the earth.  For three and a half years he “was given authority to continue [literally "make war"] for forty-two months” (Rev 13:5).  In fact the Anti-Christ “was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation“ (Rev 13:7).  Christians know who actually reigns supreme for Jesus is Lord of all and has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  The Anti-Christ thinks he has power but he is given only as much power as God allows him to have.  All this mans power is within the sovereign plan of God as God can even use evil for good.

The Anti-Christ Will Control the World’s Economy

Whoever rules the world’s goods rules the unsaved world.  This man will have “forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name“ (Rev 13:16-17).  When people start getting hungry, they will do almost anything to keep from starving.  Even submit to an ungodly ruler.  He causes everyone to receive a mark so that they can’t even buy food or any goods at all unless they have his mark upon them.  This is also mimicking the sovereign God who gives to all, great and small, the sustenance to survive.  The Anti-Christ makes everyone receive his mark but this mark comes with a great price.

The Anti-Christ Desecrates God’s Temple

Daniel 11:31 mentions this abomination of desolation as his “armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.” The “daily sacrifice is abolished“ (Dan 12:11).  He can not be trusted because “He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.  Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power.  When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses-but only for a time“ (Dan 11:21-24).  He is a liar and a thief of thieves.  He makes an agreement and promises peace but then breaks his promise and deceives many.

Jesus spoke about this saying, “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not to back to get his clothes. “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath, For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor ever shall be“ (Matt 24:15-21)

The Anti-Christ’s Attempted Destruction of Israel

Satan and all of those under his rule have always sought the destruction of the Jews.  The end times see this brought to fruition.  In Daniel 11:40-41 is says, “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land [Jerusalem], and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.” This happens after another treaty is broken.  At first he promises to help be Jerusalem’s savior but he, as always, is a liar and the truth is not in him (Dan 9:27).  He breaks one treaty after another and makes one promise after another, breaking them all.  It is obvious that his power comes from the father of lies, the Devil.

Causes Earth’s Armies to Fight Against Christ

The Anti-Christ makes an unwise decision, showing that pride comes before the fall.and what a great fall this is. John records that he “saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army“ (Rev 19:19). He is so deluded by power and by pride that he actually believes that he can even defeat Jesus Christ but he sorely miscalculates (Rev 19:20-21).  Power not only corrupts but it also blinds a person to logic and common sense.  What makes this man think that he can destroy God Almighty in the Person of Jesus Christ!?

That will be the last decision that Anti-Christ makes and it will be a fatal one for he is cast alive into the lake of fire where he can deceive the nations no more.

All Anti-Christ’s Final Destiny

All of the little “a” anti-Christ’s and the Anti-Christ are ultimately headed to one place; the lake of fire.  If you are denying Jesus Christ is God and that He came in the flesh and lived a perfect, sinless life, that He died for sinners, and was raised again and today sits at the right hand of God, and that He is coming again to judge the world in righteousness, then you are also an anti-Christ (little “a”).  There is nothing that is not forgivable except not believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (1 John 1:9).  If you do not believe in Jesus Christ then you are an anti-Christ and you stand condemned unless you repent (John 3:18).

There is still time to repent if you are reading this. If not, I hate to tell you the bad news of your and the Anti-Christ’s final destination.  It is found in Revelation 20:19-20, “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Notice that they were cast into the lake of fire alive!  Now, the good news means nothing unless we tell you the bad news first.  So now the good news (Rom 10:9-13).  You don’t have to go there (Acts 4:12).  Since Christ has not yet returned, He is still waiting for some to repent.  He is not willing that any perish apart from His saving grace (Acts 16:30-31).  I beg you to come to Him and place your trust in the Savior, but if not you will face Him as Judge.  My prayer is that you trust Him today with your eternal destiny and place your faith in the only one Who can save you.  Jesus Christ who died for you.

Pope XVI Confess

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is a Christian author, freelance writer, and pastor at the Mulvane (KS) Brethren church in Mulvane, Kansas. Jack has attended Southern California Seminary. His books are inexpensive paperbacks that are theological in nature: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children“, “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?“, and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible“. Jack is a father and grandfather who has a BA in history, one in education, and one in science.

Jack has written 220 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Read them in the archive below.

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What is Pure?

Here are simple steps that you can follow to seek after the type of religion that God accepts.  It is not about perfect church attendance, giving to the poor or tithing.  It’s about starting a nursing home, assisted living or care center ministry.  It is easy and the rewards last for eternity.  You will never know what joy there is in beginning a ministry for the elderly, aged, invalids, and handicapped.  To God, that is “pure and undefiled religion.”

Pure Religion

When people want to know what pure religion really is, there is a biblical definition given by James.  He tells us exactly what pure religion really is.  In James 1:27 is says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.“ A key component is that the type of religion that God our Father accepts as “pure and undefiled” may not be what you think.  He doesn’t say that it’s perfect church attendance, tithing, donating to food banks, reading your Bible everyday, praying regularly – not that these are not important – but God says that pure and undefiled religion is “to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.”  We are to keep ourselves “unstained from the world” too but a top priority is to look after the orphans and the widows.  That is why it is listed first in James 1:27.  And where do you find the greatest number of orphans and widows today?  Not where you might expect.

Orphans and Widows in Nursing Homes

How many of the residents in a nursing home are orphans and widows?  Almost all of them!  When we think of visiting orphans and widows, we think of church members who have lost their husbands or we think of an orphanage where children have lost both parents or they are wards of the state.  Let me shift your thinking to a nursing home.  At a Bible study one night I asked the residents this question: “How many of you have had your spouse die?”  Nearly every hand shot up.  Then I asked, “How many of you have lost your parents?”  All of the hands were raised.  Think about that.  Almost every single resident in nursing homes are orphans, having lost their parents and almost all of the residents are widows and  widowers.

The revelation that came to me one night when I was giving a Bible study on “pure religion” was that they were all orphans and nearly all of them were widows or widowers at the nursing home.  Honestly, it had never occurred to me that I was visiting the orphans and widows.  Sadly, 60% of residents there never have one single visitor ever come to visit them.  These people are hungry for company and someone to talk too.  I go early, well before the Bible study starts at 6:00 pm and go into the dining room and go from table to table to sit, talk, and just listen to them.  This is an amazing opportunity to put feet on my faith.  I get to share the gospel with them, with the employees, and with resident’s family members too.  What an awesome chance to tell people that Jesus loves them and that He cares for them, even into their latter years.  I can tell them that Jesus says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you…The Lord is my helper” (Heb 13:5).  Jesus says to them that the “one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).  Yes, Jesus has not forgotten about them and I am there to remind them of that.  Even if they have no one else to come and visit them, I will and Jesus is really with them – even into their old age.

God Will Not Forsake Them Even When They Are Old

How inspiring these Bible studies are because I can offer them hope. I love to quote Bible Scriptures to them that sometimes bring a tear to their eye and what joy this gives me.  Once I repeated Psalm 71:18 to a 100-year old man that God says, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”  Isaiah 46:4 is another favorite that says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”  To honor and respect these people, I can read “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding” (Job 12:12)?  I tell them that we should “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD” (Lev 19:32).

I want these people to have a sense of dignity and respect.  There are fewer things in a ministry that you can do that is more rewarding than having your own nursing home ministry.  It will be rewarding for you and for these aged men and women who have often have no visitors at all.  I have grown to love them and I tell them that.  They are not able to attend their local church anymore so I bring the church to them.  And there are those who are in the limelight of their years and have not yet heard the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and what a prime time to tell them about Him.  They are on the precipice of eternity and what better time in their lives for them to hear how they can have eternal life?  There is joy when I can tell them that some day there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more aches and pains, no more walkers, no more wheelchairs, and no more “take your medicine!”  Heaven is often the only hope that these men and women have at this point in their lives.  It gives them something to look forward too and a sense of joy in eager expectation of being reunited with their beloved lost, loved ones.  They will see their father and mother again, they will see their long, lost friends, family, and in some cases, their own children.

This is pure religion: Visiting the orphans and widows in their affliction.  I have become a son to many of them in some cases and they have grown to love me too; an unexpected reward.  I believe that I receive more joy from this ministry than I probably have given them.  They accept me as one of their own…I love them as one of my own.  That is the kind of pure religion that God the Father accepts, “to visit orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27).

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-pure-and-undefiled-religion-before-god/#ixzz2TG60UQGp

Tips to Avoid Temptation.

God does not promise that we will never be tempted, but that when we are, He will provide a way of escape. However, there are things that we can do as a Christian to avoid unnecessary temptation. Many times temptation can be completely avoided by following these simple tips.

Pray

In the model prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples in Matthew 6, He taught them to ask God to lead them away from temptation (Matthew 6:13). A daily relationship with God in prayer is a first step to avoiding temptation.

Use the Word of God

There are many good verses that will help you overcome certain temptations. Memorizing Bible verses targeted to combat your areas of temptation will be a protection and defense. 2 Corinthians 10:4 and 5 talk about pulling down things that get a stronghold in our life.

You need to work on memorizing a list of Bible verses that will help you avoid temptation. You cannot rely on finding a Bible at the moment of temptation. These verses have to become second nature to you.

Spend time in God’s word daily. Make it a habit. By knowing you will be confronted by the Bible in your reading tomorrow it can help you stay focused on God today.

Understand Your Personal Weaknesses

Not everyone is tempted in the same way. What is a struggle for one person may not be the least bit tempting to another person. For example one person may be tempted with smoking. For the next guy, smoking has never had a foothold on the person and therefore is not at all tempting.

James 1:14 says that we are drawn away with our own lusts. This indicates that each person has their own week areas to deal with. You need to understand your own weakness so that you will know how to combat and avoid it.

Flee Temptation

God has promised to make a way to escape temptation. If you will look for the escape route then you can flee the temptation. Many times this way of escape is to literally walk (or run) away. Temptation often comes when you find yourself in certain situations or places. When you recognize one of those situations it is time to pack up your stuff and get out of there. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22)

Create an Accountability Network

As Christians we have direct access to God. There is no place in the Bible where we are taught that we must confess our sins to others to have forgiveness from God. However, the Bible does teach that creating accountability with someone else can help you in your struggle against temptation (James 5:16).

You do not need to go into detail with your accountability partner about about your struggles, but they do need to know how to pray for you. Find someone who is a mature Christian. Often your pastor can fill this role, but it can also be a fellow church member. Tell them that you are struggling in a certain area. Look through the Bible together finding verses that will be a help to you. Have your friend ask you occasionally how you were doing in this area. Once a week is usually often enough. Make a promise to your friend that you will not lie to them when asked about how you are doing. You only hurt yourself when you lie to the other person. Ask your friend to pray for you—not stand in judgment.

Don’t be Discouraged

You should not become complacent about your sin. But you should also not allow it to defeat you. Sin is much more serious than eating too much dessert, but allow me to make an analogy. If you are on a diet and eat an extra cookie that you were not supposed to, does it make sense to quit your diet and eat the rest of the bag? The truth is that one extra cookie is a minor thing compared to how many good choices you made the previous week. It sounds silly to quit a diet because of 100 extra calories. Yet people do it all the time.

Realize that you probably will fall to temptation on occasion, but that is no reason to quit your Christian walk. Don’t accept your sin as if it doesn’t matter, but also realize that you have a choice in your future actions.

Confess and Repent

When you fall to temptation, go to God and confess. He already knows about your sin. You are not telling Him anything that is a surprise. But for your own sake you should humble yourself before God and confess your sin. The truth is, He has already forgiven you if you’re a Christian. Going to Him in confession makes it easier for you to have clear communication with Him.

Which of these tips about avoiding tempation was most helpful to you? Do you have any other tips to add to this list? Let us know in the comments.

What Does the Bible Teach About Divorce and Remarriage?

Does the Bible address the issue of divorce?  What does it say about marrying after divorce….and is it adultery if you do?  Are there exceptions to being able to remarry after a divorce?

Does the Bible Address the Issue of Divorce? 

God performed the first marriage ceremony between Adam and Eve, therefore we can say with assurance that God loves marriage and that it is a divine institution (Gen. 2:18-24).  God also hates divorce and says so many times in the scriptures (Malachi 2:16).  Jesus said the only reason that divorce was permitted was because of the hardness of human’s hearts but this was not done in the beginning (Matt. 19:8).  If a husband’s or wife’s mate leave them, then they can not be held responsible for the marriage and Paul apparently believes that they are not bound by the law (I Cor. 7:15).

Clearly, God reveals throughout the Bible that He hates divorce and that husband and wife were intended to marry for life.  Divorce is permissible where spousal abuse occurs or where children are endangered by one of the parties.  Here is where it is permitted because the higher moral law is to protect children and, in most cases, women from abusing husbands and fathers.  It should be noted that some men had to divorce their wives because of spousal abuse too.  What the Bible teaches is that divorce is the high exception to the rule and it should always be the very last resort in any marriage.  God hates divorce because of what it does to the family which is society’s support system.  Divorce is also very harmful to children in almost every case, again with the exception of where abuse is occurring.

What Does The Bible Say About Marrying After Divorce….and is it Adultery If You Do?

Generally speaking the Bible teaches that it is unlawful to marry again after a divorce.  Even if a single person who marries a divorced person, it is called adultery (Duet.24:4).   Divorcing someone is not considered adultery but Jesus did say in Matthew 5:32 that “… anyone who divorces his wife [or husband I would add], except for sexual immorality, makes her [or him] the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman [or man] commits adultery.”  But then again, even looking at another person with lust in their hearts is also considered adultery (Matt 5:28).  However it is important to remember that it may be the best course of action where safety for the spouse and their children is concerned, so each case must be looked at in particular and not all divorces and remarriages can be considered in the same way since circumstances may be different.

If you remarry after your spouse has left you, they were unfaithful, or they were abusive, this is an extenuating circumstance and God would not condemn anyone for this.  Paul would say that it is better not to remarry, but not everyone can handle this if they are continually tempted sexually (1 Cor. 7:8-9).  Others were married and divorced before they became a Christian and after being born-again and so to remarry a Christian is not a mortal sin.  Besides, there are no sins that are not covered by the blood of Christ upon professing Him as Lord and Savior.  Christians who know other people that are not saved or other Christians who have been divorced and remarry should be forgiving and not judgmental.  They may not know all of the circumstances but even if it was not permitted, every one of us have sinned and will continue to sin until the day our Lord comes for us.

Fornication is not the same thing as adultery. Fornication is having sexual relationships between unmarried people and fornication is strictly forbidden by God.  Sexual abstinence is commanded before marriage, but after marriage, God wants the husband and wife to enjoy sex because that is the primary reason that He created it.

Are There Exceptions to Being Able to Remarry After a Divorce?

Some of the exceptions have already been mentioned.  If a husband or wife is abusive to them and/or their children, or if a mate leaves them, or their mate has been unfaithful in the marital relationship, then they are permitted to divorce.   An important point is that even if you become a Christian and are married to a non-believer, you have no excuse to divorce them.  The Bible does not teach such a thing and if the unbelieving spouse is willing to remain married to the believer, then by all means no divorce is permitted.  In fact, many unbelieving spouses have been brought to Christ through the loving example of Christ in the believing spouse’s life (1 Cor. 7:12-14). God may have placed you with the unbelieving spouse expressly for the purpose of helping them come to Christ in faith.  In this case, divorcing from them might have proven tragic.

God does allow for remarriage too in the cases of a spouse’s death but that the person you are marrying must be a Christian (1 Cor. 7:39).  Paul would suggest that they would be of better service to God if they remained single, as he was, but some people who have greater sexual drives may not be able to handle this (1 Cor. 7:32-36).  Paul’s greatest teachings about marriage, remarriage, and divorce are covered in 1 Corinthians chapter seven.  He says that whatever state you were in when you became a believer is the most desirable state to remain in (1 Cor. 7:17-24).  Marriage is an honorable thing before God.  It is a gift of God.  We should esteem it very highly and as a divine institution.

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 Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is a Christian author, freelance writer, and pastor at the Mulvane (KS) Brethren church in Mulvane, Kansas. Jack has attended Southern California Seminary. His books are inexpensive paperbacks that are theological in nature: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children“, “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?“, and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible“. Jack is a father and grandfather who has a BA in history, one in education, and one in science.

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What is the Rapture? A Look at the Different Views

What is the rapture? Is it in the Bible?  Why do some believe in the rapture and some do not?  Who is right?

The word rapture is not in the Bible but neither is the word Trinity.  Some theologians, Christians, and churches believe in the rapture and others do not.  Some believe in the Great Tribulation, while others do not.  What are we to believe if some teach about the rapture while others do not?

Theologians Who Do Not Believe in the Rapture

There are many outstanding theologians who do not believe in a Rapture.  Some of these include R.C. Sprouls with Ligonier Ministries,  Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man, and many outstanding Bible scholars.  These men are theologically sound teachers and evangelists.  They believe that there is no rapture and that there is also no Great Tribulation from what many presume Jesus taught in Matthew 24 or the Olivet Discourse.  Several scholars, like those mentioned above, believe that the events in the Book of Revelation have already occurred or might have already occurred in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans.

We must have grace for those who do not believe in non-essentials.  If a believer feels differently about something than we do, and the subject is not essential to salvation, then there should be tolerance.  It is wrong for Christians to argue over doctrines that are not crucial to the gospel and how a person is saved.  For example, we know that there is only one way to the Father and that there is no other way to salvation except through placing your faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12, 16:30-31; Rom 10:9-13, etc.).  We also know that we are not saved by works (Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:20, 28, etc.).  These issues are non-negotiable.  These truths cannot be compromised.

One person I know argued over the question of whether Adam had a navel or not because he did not have a mother.  An ensuing argument erupted over this single topic that was not considered important enough to be included in the Scriptures.  Paul wrote to Timothy and said to “Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen” (2 Tim 2:14).

Theologians Who Believe in the Rapture

The vast majority of Bible scholars, churches, theologians, evangelists, and Christians do believe in a coming rapture.  Even though the word rapture does not appear in the Bible, they base their beliefs on a passage from 1 Thessalonians.  In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

The church at Thessalonica were worried that Jesus would return and that those who had already died were going to be left behind in their graves.  That is the reason why Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica.  Paul reassures them by writing that “we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep“ (1 Thes 4:15).   Even though the word rapture is not in the Bible, the Greek word for “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is harpazo.  In Latin it is called Rapturo from which we get the word rapture.  The New Testament was written in Greek and the English words “caught up” is literally harpazo.   Harpazo means “to seize, carry off by force; claim for one’s self eagerly; to snatch out or away”. A good rendering of harpazo is like that of being kidnapped.  The Lord is thought to be coming to seize or carry off by force all believers, just before the coming Great Tribulation.

Many believe that the rapture occurs just before the Great Tribulation (Pre-tribbers).  Others believe it will occur during the middle of it (some call it Mid-tribbers).  Still others believe the church will go through the Great Tribulation.  And of course the first group mentioned at the beginning of this article neither believes in the rapture or the Great Tribulation.  The vast majority of Christians believe that the rapture will occur just before the Great Tribulation  This belief is based upon Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (and elsewhere) that, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The wrath of God was poured out on Christ at Calvary so it would not have to be poured out on those who have placed their faith in Christ.  The wrath of God is said to be “poured out” on the sinful world in the Book of Revelation and since God has not appointed Christians to suffer His wrath, He will take believers out of harm’s way in a rapture.  I find it interesting that 1 Thessalonians 5:9 is mentioned right after what many believe is the rapture where Paul wrote about being “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4.  Another reason that many believers feel that the church will be raptured is that the church is not mentioned when the Great Tribulation events begin to occur in the Book of Revelation.

Millennium Views: Premillennial, Postmillennial and Amillennial

Different beliefs include the premillennial view.  In this view, Christ comes before the millennium. Then there is the postmillennial view which teaches that Christ comes after the millennium. There is also the amillennial view which holds that Christ also comes after the millennium, and it is also sometimes called the no millennial view.  This is quite confusing to many Christians but this a theological issue that is not essential to salvation.  The Second Advent where Christ returns to judge the world is a certainty.  We therefore are told to witness to those who do not know Christ as their Savior.  Jesus will return again; either as a person’s Judge or as person’s King.  If someone does not place their faith in Christ and He returns, He will be their Judge at the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20.  They will be cast into the Lake of Fire.  However, if someone believes in Christ today, or does so before He returns, then they will love His appearing.  Paul wrote about this in his last letter to Timothy.  Paul is about to be executed and tells Timothy, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim 4:8).  A crown of righteousness is reserved for those who long for Jesus’ return.  But for those who are not believers, then it will be a most dreadful day indeed (Rev 20:12).

When I am asked whether I hold a postmillennial view, the amillennial view, or a premillennial view, I tell them that I am a panmilleniast – that is, I believe it will all pan out in the end.  I think we need to be ready for His return at any moment.  A danger in believing in the rapture is that Christians may become lazy or slothful and not want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.  They feel that they can rest on their laurels and not worry about the future because they’ll be taken out of this world by Christ before it gets bad.  The danger in that thinking may be why Jesus gave the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13:

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.  The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

That last line, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” is a sobering reminder to always be ready for His return.  Whether you believe in the Great Tribulation, the Millennium, the rapture, or none of these, you must believe in Jesus Christ and place your faith in Him today.  Tomorrow may be too late and you might hear Jesus say, “I don’t know you”.  My prayer for you is that Jesus does know you and that you might know Him and that by knowing Him, you may have eternal life (John 20:31).

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-the-rapture-a-look-at-the-different-views/#ixzz2SmWQUua1

How Do I Meditate on The Word Of God? Good Bible Tips

How do we meditate on the Word of God?  The Bible instructs Christians to meditate on the Word but how are we supposed to meditate on the Word of God and what does it mean to meditate?

A Secular Definition of Meditation

When you look in the dictionary and see what the word meditate means, you can get dozens of differing definitions. I will try to give a general definition based upon what most people think meditation is and then what God means by His command to have us meditate on the Word of God.  Most dictionaries define meditation as:  Intentional contemplation on the author’s work with the express purpose of  reflecting upon it, contemplative thinking, the revolving of a subject in the mind or a self-directed practice of calming the mind and body.

Other definitions are a clearing of the mind, an emptying of thoughts, having a mind that is open.  The thing that I don’t like about this kind of meditation is that a clear, open mind is one that is subject to spiritual attack or evil influence from demons or wicked spirits.  The problem with an open mind is that it often needs to be closed down for repairs!   What is called Transcendental Meditation for example is a technique that is derived from Hindu traditions that promote deep relaxation through the use of a mantra. However a mantra’s different for differing belief systems like Buddhism, Hinduism, and New Age ideas and so its definition depends upon the group’s beliefs and is dependent upon the context of it.   Some of this is practiced even in the work place, at Yoga classes, and in many Eastern religions.  This is not what the Bible means by meditating on the Word of God.

Meditating on the Word

Our church elder said that meditating on the Word of God is a lost art in the church today. He is absolutely right.  We lose out on so much when we simply read over the Word and don’t meditate on it. Part of what the Psalmist says where we are to “hide your Word” in our heart is simply meditating on it.  Yes, memorizing Scripture may be part of this hiding the Word, but  There is so much power even in one verse…in one word…that we don’t tap that power when we read right past it.  The Scriptures often tell us to do this both day and night and so you can never meditate on it if you are not reading it…both day and night.

Benefits of Meditating on the Word

Here are a few verses that tell us that we should meditate on the Word of God, why we should meditate on it and what the benefits are:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

If we meditate on God’s Law, and I don’t mean the Mosaic Law, then we will “be careful to do all that is written in it.” You can’t obey what you do not know.  And God promises to “make your way prosperous” and you’ll have “good success” if you meditate on it.  Meditating and memorizing Scripture is like “hiding His Word” in your heart.  When you are tempted, you can more easily resist sinning because you already know the precepts, statues, and Laws of God.

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

We will love the law of God only if we meditate on its meaning.  It is not so much “don’t do this” but “do this and suffer” and “don’t do this and prosper.” God doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves or others and that is why we must love His law and meditate on it.   God loves His own law so much that the biggest chapter in the Bible is dedicated to the law in Psalm 119; it must be of high importance to God.  If it is that important to God (and it is) then it must be for us as well.

“May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalm 104:34

God is well pleased when we meditate on His divine Word.  The Psalmist wrote that rejoicing in the Lord is tied to meditating on His Word.  Imagine you get a letter from your loved one.  You have been separated from him or her for a long time.  You love re-reading it…reflecting on the words, and so you will rejoice in this letter and your loved one and you will meditate on certain lines, would you not?  The same applies to God’s Word.  It is the greatest love letter ever written!

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Psalm 119:15

I love this verse.  Here the writer is fixing his eyes on God’s ways.  He is meditating on the precepts of God for they are always true, faithful, and good.  To “fix” your eyes is to meditate on specific things and these things (like precepts) are in the written Word of God.  Try fixing your eyes on one verse today.  You’ll be amazed at how the Holy Spirit will enlighten your mind to it.

“My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.” Psalm 49:

Here is a cause and effect verse.  Our mouth can speak wisdom only because the meditation of our hearts on His Word gives us understanding.  This is not a subjective, human wisdom but the wisdom of God Himself because when our hearts mediate on His truth (which is objective), what we say will be wise because it is the wisdom of God.  By the way, the seat of the intellect in the Jewish idiom is the “heart” and so when you read the word heart, you can understand that it is talking about the mind.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Although Paul didn’t use the word “meditate”, the intent is the same thing when he said to “think about these things.”  When we think on “these things” we are pondering them, we are reflecting on them, and we are contemplating (meditating) on them.

“My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” Psalm 119:148

Many of the strongest Christians have the most worn out Bibles and you have probably heard that a Christian whose Bible is coming apart has it most together.  This verse speaks of meditating on the Word before “the watches of the night” or late at night, perhaps before bedtime.  They are meditating on God’s promises and that helps to keep a believer’s hope strong.  His promises are all revealed in Scripture and what better thing to meditate on than those promises which are sure, true, and can not be broken.

“Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.” Psalm 119:24

The writer here ties together our ability to not be discouraged or fearful even while our enemies are plotting against us.  How many times have we laid awake at night, unable to sleep or “turn it off“, worrying about our problems (even if they are people)?  We can sleep in peace by meditating on the Word before we go to bed.  I have known fewer solutions to my sleeplessness than to open the Bible and read His Word for I realize that even that bad things will work out for my best (Romans 8:28).  That is another of God’s promises.

Conclusion

We have read from Scripture that there is so much good that can come from meditating on the Word of God.  The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  I tried to meditate on this shortest of verses and found it to be one of the most powerful verses in the entire Bible.  I thought of why Jesus wept, what He was weeping for, who He was weeping over, and how He showed such depth of emotion in His love.  By asking who, what, why, where, when, and how over a single verse, the Holy Spirit can speak to us through the written Word because the Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word (2 Peter 1:21).  I thought of His humanity, the suffering that He saw, the lost sheep of Israel who would have nothing to do with Him, the depravity of mankind, the compassion that He had.  What must Jesus have been thinking (meditating) on when He wept?

It must grieve the heart of God to know that many will be called but few will be chosen.  Many have heard of Jesus but few will trust in Him.  The path to destruction is broad but the way of life is narrow and winding and few are they that find it.  That makes me want to weep too.  For all those who refuse to believe, those who will not come to saving faith, I meditate on their eternal, future fate.  That makes me want to share the gospel all the more.  I want to be about my Father’s business in rescuing the perishing.  The Bible is full of God’s desire that no one will perish (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, Ezekiel 18:23).  Meditate on what breaks God’s heart and your heart will be broken too.  Meditate on the Word of God and you will hide it in your heart (memorize it).  Then you will have the Word in you to be able to resist when temptation comes.  You can meditate on God’s desire to save those who are headed for the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 21).

This week, choose one verse to meditate on.  I choose John 11:35 (“Jesus wept“).  I wanted to align my heart with Jesus’ heart.  Take one line from the Word of God and memorize it, think about it, ponder it, reflect upon it, and then God “will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).  That is a promise from God.  There is nothing more certain in all the universe than a promise of God.  Just meditate on that for a while.

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/how-do-i-meditate-on-the-word-of-god-good-bible-tips/#ixzz2Shbl5Woa

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