It will be recalled that at the time of 1 John there had been an ecclesial split over the teaching of the Gnostics. The Gnostics claimed to possess a profound knowledge (Gk: gnosis) of God and to have an … Read more “First John (7) – God Is Love”
From time to time, we come across some scriptural gems—nuggets of gold—which we have not seen before. Recent discussion about sin entering the world brought our thoughts to that amazing phrase, “the foundation of the world”. It is a New … Read more “The Foundation of the World”
Viewed from afar, it might seem that the wall was built without a lot of interruption. Such a view would be completely wrong! Any building site, ancient or modern, faces challenges of one type or another. This one had them … Read more “Nehemiah – The Courageous Cupbearer (2)”
Do you know there are seven new songs in the Old Testament Scriptures? I want to briefly take you over six of those songs. What, then, are we going to sing in the age to come? We are going to … Read more “Praise (4)”
In First John, the Apostle John wrote to counter the wrong doctrine and wrong practice of the Gnostics. The Gnostics claimed a special experiential knowledge (Gk gnosis) of God, yet sadly their lives were more about experiencing sin, as … Read more “First John (6) – Cain and Christ”
| Darius’ reign | Age | ||
| 539BC | Decree of Cyrus
First return under Zerubbabel |
||
| 533BC? | Death of Daniel | ||
| 530BC? | Born? | 0 | |
| 522BC | 1 | Darius the Great becomes king | 8 |
| 516BC | 7 | Temple completed
Esther marries the king Ezra travels to Jerusalem |
14 |
| 511BC |
We saw in our first article the importance of the marriage contract theme throughout the book of Jeremiah. To appreciate the prophecy of Jeremiah we need to have this picture firmly imprinted on our minds. It is the story that … Read more “A Few Thoughts on Jeremiah (2)”
Then there was another word used for the word “praises”. This word means ‘to address in a loud voice’. It means to shout praise and it is interesting to see how this word is used, for example, in the 145… Read more “Praise (3)”
The first epistle of John was written to expose the false teachings of the Gnostics and encourage the faith of those that remained in the ecclesia after the Gnostics had left. The Gnostics claimed to have a superior knowledge (Gk … Read more “First John (5) – Becoming Sons of God”
On arrival in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel and Joshua withstood the initial challenges bravely but they couldn’t, or didn’t, overcome the difficulties that followed; not for 15 years anyway. How sad. Too soon, the ongoing trials wore them down. In the end, … Read more “Zerubbabel (2) – Sown in Babylon”
The book of Jeremiah is the largest book by one author in the whole Bible. It is a challenging book because, apart from its size, it is the book most judgemental of God’s people. It is also a chronological nightmare … Read more “A Few Thoughts on Jeremiah (1)”
You know, when I was asked to do this address, I thought to myself, how am I going to speak upon the subject of praise? It’s such a vast subject!
So what I did, was, I got out my Concordance, … Read more “Praise (2)”
Having been accepted into the nation of Israel and given an important role as “hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Yahweh”, it is possible to trace … Read more “The Gibeonites in History and Type (3)”
In the epistle of John, the apostle is writing to counter the false teachings of the Gnostics, but also to encourage the brothers and sisters left behind when the Gnostics had left the ecclesia. The table below shows the structure … Read more “First John (4) – Abide in the Son and in the Father”
The substance of an address delivered by Bro John Martin on 1 October 1966, to the young people gathered at the Victor Harbor Study Weekend to discuss the psalms.
Brother Chairman, brothers and sisters, and my dear young people.
In the western world, we have become complacent due to societal-wide affluence and prosperity. Until recent times, this has caused us to become largely insulated from many of the uncertainties of life.
However, in recent times, we now live in … Read more “Fear Not, It is Your Father’s Good Pleasure to Give You the Kingdom”
A powerful force of five kings led by Adoni-zedek, who were already concerned about the Israelite threat, were now additionally disturbed over the four Gibeonite cities making a league with Joshua. Their tactics were thus altered … Read more “The Gibeonites in History and Type (2)”
The first epistle of John was written around AD90 to provide guidance and comfort to those brothers and sisters that had just experienced an ecclesial split following the Gnostic heresy. As John wrote: “They went out from us” (2:19).
The … Read more “First John (3) – To Know God and Love Our Brother (2:3-17)”
Following the foiled assassination attempt, Haman had created an atmosphere of fear in the court of Ahasuerus, which was no doubt what the king appointed him to do. When Mordecai alone, even of all the Jews, refused to bow to … Read more “Mordecai – The Jew (2)”
In Genesis 15:12-17 Abraham is told that his seed, after suffering harsh treatment in a strange land, would emerge from that country to inherit the land that God had … Read more “The Gibeonites in History and Type (1)”