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I am Sending the Promise of my Father Upon You

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.   After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father . “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:1–5 After the Lord had regulated the Apostles’ views of their fundamental relations, He now turns to His specific farewell discourse. This character we find in Jn. 16:12-15. As Moses, when he departed, pointed to Joshua, Deut. 31:23, so Jesus pointed to the Holy Ghost, who should lead His disciples into all the truth.   And the LORD commissio...

The Pauline and New Testament Use of Protos: The First Resurrection

 “The First Resurrection” In the opening sentence of the article , Kline declared, “One of the critical points in the exegesis of Rev. 20 is the interpretation of prōtos in the phrase, “the first resurrection” (v. 5). Premillennarians understand prōtos in the purely sequential sense of first in a series of items of the same kind. Consequently, premillennarians interpret “the first resurrection” in Revelation 20:5 as a bodily resurrection , “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.  This is the first resurrection.” They also interpret the resurrection event described in Revelation 20:12–13 as a bodily resurrection , “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the...

If I will that he Remain till I Come; What is That to You?

 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”  Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”  So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die . Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but , “If it is my will that he remain until I come , what is that to you?” John 21:18–23 Jesus replie...

The abomination that causes desolation: The six seal and fifth seal of Revelation

 Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city: to restrain transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for lawlessness, to establish everlasting righteousness, to conclude vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Dan. 9:24 ISV Now Gabriel says [Dan. 9:24], “Seventy weeks (that is, four hundred and ninety years) are determined concerning your people and your holy city.” This is as if he were to say: Your nation of the Jews and the holy city of Jerusalem have yet four hundred and ninety years to go; then they will both come to an end.  As to what shall actually transpire, he says that transgression will be finished and forgiveness sealed and iniquity atoned for and everlasting righteousness brought in, and vision and prophecy fulfilled,  that is, that satisfaction will be made for all sins, forgiveness of sins proclaimed, and the righteousness of faith preached, that righteousness which is eternally valid before God ....