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What support is there for the claim that God spoke to all the Jewish people at the foot of Mount Sinai?Who did God give the Torah to at Mount Sinai? Most people reply, "God gave the Torah to Moses." And what were the Jewish people doing while Moses was receiving the Torah? "Worshipping the Golden Calf." Correct answers -- but NOT according to the Bible. The above answers come from Cecil B. DeMille's classic film, "The Ten Commandments." Amazing the impact one movie can have on the Jewish education of generations of Jews. It's a great film, but DeMille should...

Many people believe that the great harlot that revelations talks about is the cathlic Church and that the daughters of the great harlot is the protestant churches. and that makes sense to me more than any thing else. The catholic Church has claimed to change the saboth day from the seventh day ( saterday ) to the first day ( sunday ). And of course the protestants went right along with it, have you noticed that especialy in long gone days many of the religious people worked harder and worked thier animals harder on what they called the saboth than...

Will Jesus Christ return to Earth in the year 2015? And can studying NASA's website provide evidence for such a scenario? A minister who promotes the Old Testament roots of Christianity suggests a rare string of lunar and solar eclipses said to fall on God's annual holy days seven years from now could herald what's come to be known as the "Second Coming" of Jesus. "God wants us to look at the biblical calendar," says Mark Biltz, pastor of El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, Wash. "The reason we need to be watching is [because] He will signal His appearance....

From First Part, Question 1, Article 8: "Hence sacred doctrine makes use also of the authority of philosophers in those questions in which they were able to know the truth by natural reason, as Paul quotes a saying of Aratus: "As some also of your own poets said: For we are also His offspring" (Acts 17:28)." "Nevertheless, sacred doctrine makes use of these authorities as extrinsic and probable arguments; but properly uses the authority of the canonical Scriptures as an incontrovertible proof, and the authority of the doctors of the Church as one that may properly be used, yet merely...

“An Eternal Gospel to Proclaim” (Rev. 14:6-7)“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim. . . .” This reading from Revelation has long been appointed for the observance of Reformation Day, because in a certain sense Martin Luther was like that angel: a “messenger” used by God to sound forth the eternal gospel, loud and clear, at a time when the sound had grown muffled and unclear. Luther restored the proclamation of the gospel of Christ to its rightful prominence. And for that Reformation of the church we give thanks to God on this...

The Vision of the Apocalypse In order to place the vision of a woman clothed with the sun and having the moon beneath her feet, the text has been situated within its larger context. It depicts the seventh angel blowing his trumpet, hence, the completion of another great moment in the seer's (John, the Elder) vision. The text is clear in its Messianic message: Revelation 11:15-19: Woman Clothed with the Sun: 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and...

THE APOCALYPSE WHEN WRITTEN, AND BY WHOM. (1871) by Enoch Pond, Professor at the Theological Seminary, Bangor, Maine. <<INTRODUCTION: Preterists maintain that the events of Revelation were fulfilled by AD70. For this to be true they maintain that the book of Revelation was written in 66-68 AD and they do some interesting tricks to try to make people believe it was. The common school of thought is that Revelation was written around 95AD which brings the Preterist point of view to a grinding halt. This paper written in 1871 was one of many I read that made strong arguments as...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The Book of Revelation should not be read as a frightening or enigmatic warning, but as an essentially encouraging vision of Christ's definitive victory over evil, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope noted that Revelation, also called the Apocalypse, had come to be mistakenly identified with the idea of an "imminent catastrophe" about to befall the world. Instead, he said, the text offers a clear expression of how the Christian faith makes ultimate sense of history. The pontiff made the comments Aug. 23 at a general audience at the Vatican. He was applauded by some 7,000...

Question 12 of The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church now asks the following: "What is Apostolic Tradition?" Answer: "Apostolic Tradition is the transmission of the message of Christ, brought about from the very beginnings of Christianity by means of preaching, bearing witness, institutions, worship, and inspired writings. The Apostles transmitted all they received from Christ and learned from the Holy Spirit to their successors, the bishops, and through them to all generations until the end of the world." The notion of Sola Scriptura, or "Scripture alone", as the definitive source of all that is genuine, all that...

"We all feel we have to jump through hoops to please this intolerant and difficult-to-please God.  We think God is going to burn billions of people endlessly without any recourse. That sounds more like the devil than God."- A Celebrity Pentecostal BishopBut there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.- 2 Peter 2:1 [KJV]The National Geographic Channel aired a program entitled, Secrets of Revelation.  Secrets of Revelation presented the usual speculations...

EDMONTON -- Imagine a world where you're taken unconscious and with no identification to a hospital. The doctor scans the microchip implanted in your shoulder, downloads your medical identification number and links up with a secure network that says you're a diabetic and allergic to Tylenol. Sounds ideal. In a world where more than 230 physicians in the United States have bought microchips for implantation in patients, and where a club owner in Spain offers to implant VIP chips into posh people so they don't need to carry credit cards or identification, the ethics of human microchip technology needs to...

"There are those worthless souls who ignore the power of 666; who believe Tuesday- June 6, 2006 - is nothing more than another ordinary mark on the ordinary calendar. They will go about their lives, blind to the blood-curdling evil all around. Soon, the streets will fill with death and decay. Soon, scalped chickens will fall from the sky.

"Let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six." (Revelation 13:16-18, New Revised Standard Version) BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The number 666 -- the "number of the beast," according to the Book of Revelation -- conjures devilish images for many, so forecasts of evil, even doom, are rampant regarding dates or places where the number occurs, including next Tuesday, June 6, or 6-6-06. Fears of 666, long believed to be the dreaded mark of Satan, are based on a "widespread misinterpretation" of the chapter in Revelation...

The great success of Jewish tradition is the meticulous transmission of the Torah text. But actually how accurate is it?How do we know that the Torah we have today is the same text given on Mount Sinai? The Torah was originally dictated from God to Moses, letter for letter. From there, the Midrash (Devarim Rabba 9:4) tells us: Before his death, Moses wrote 13 Torah Scrolls. Twelve of these were distributed to each of the 12 Tribes. The 13th was placed in the Ark of the Covenant (with the Tablets). If anyone would come and attempt to rewrite or falsify...

What support is there for the claim that God spoke to all the Jewish people at the foot of Mount Sinai?Who did God give the Torah to at Mount Sinai? Most people reply, "God gave the Torah to Moses." And what were the Jewish people doing while Moses was receiving the Torah? "Worshipping the Golden Calf." Correct answers -- but NOT according to the Bible. The above answers come from Cecil B. DeMille's classic film, "The Ten Commandments." Amazing the impact one movie can have on the Jewish education of generations of Jews. It's a great film, but DeMille should...

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is filing a formal complaint with chamber officials regarding what he considers an “unethical” broadcast of an interview with him by a CNN reporter Tuesday. ROLL CALL reports: In an incident that could have repercussions for TV journalists’ access to the chamber, Stevens is furious with CNN correspondent Joe Johns for an interview conducted outside the weekly GOP policy luncheons, but far away from the usual bank of TV cameras set up for such interviews next to the storied Ohio Clock. “This was not a formal interview request. This was an ambush in the hallway,” said...

NEW YORK - An expert on ancient Egyptian texts is predicting that the "Gospel of Judas" — a manuscript from early Christian times that's nearing release amid widespread interest from scholars — will be a dud in terms of learning anything new about Judas. James M. Robinson, America's leading expert on such ancient religious texts from Egypt, predicts in a new book that the text won't offer any insights into the disciple who betrayed Jesus. His reason: While it's old, it's not old enough. "Does it go back to Judas? No," Robinson told The Associated Press on Thursday. The text,...

Letters to the Seven Churches Revelation The Book of RevelationRevelation is the only book in the Bible that promises a special blessing to the reader.1 (Many passages tell us to read the Bible in general terms. Only one book has the audacity to say, in effect, Read me; I'm special.) Early in my teens, I encountered a Bible teacher who heralded that The Book of Revelation is written in code; but every code is explained somewhere else in the Bible. That really caught my attention. And that discovery changed my entire life.The Seven LettersAsk any Bible student how many epistles...

Ageing hellraiser ALICE COOPER is convinced the end of the world is approaching, citing the recent string of horrendous natural disasters as evidence of an imminent apocalypse. The SCHOOL'S OUT rocker, whose father was a preacher, maintains current world affairs match the forecast written in the prophetic book of Revelations in the Bible. He says, "Everybody is aware of the end of time - the floods, the tsunami, the hurricanes. It's Revelations. It's all supposed to happen. "I know where it's going because, according to the Bible, it's like this for a while and then we'll see the Antichrist, who's...

It’s been 10 months of epic disaster. First there was the tsunami that killed some 250,000 people in Southeast Asia. Then came Hurricane Katrina with its devastating toll on the Gulf Coast, followed by an earthquake that took tens of thousands of lives in South Asia. Now, Hurricane Wilma, one of the most powerful storms ever measured in the Atlantic Basin, is stalking the Florida coast, and experts are warning of a deadly avian flu pandemic. It’s enough to make just about anyone pause to look for meaning in the madness.

In the fall of 2004 I led about 20 parishioners through a 15-week study of the Revelation to John. It was a gratifying and challenging experience. Equipped with commentaries and a reading plan, we set out to discover what this part of scripture had to offer. We found plenty. I began the class with a sketch of the cultural and political situation of the churches to which Revelation was written and a word of caution in the form of two quotations. I repeated Martin Luther’s dictum that “Revelation reveals nothing,” and pointed out that many Christians are, unfortunately, like Luther...

Israel is the major topic of the Bible. The word “Israel” occurs 2,565 times in 2,293 verses. More than enough prophecies have already been fulfilled in Israel’s unique history to prove that “the God of Israel” (203 times) is the true God. In Zechariah 12:2-3, He declares: Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces,...

PFRS Home > Doctrinal Studies > Preterism Preterism& the Date of the ApocalypseCopyright © Tim Warner - 010/2003 The date of the writing of Revelation has been hotly disputed by preterists. Until the last century, Christian tradition has placed John's exile to Patmos during the reign of the emperor Domitian (AD 81-96).The dispute over the date of the composition of Revelation is a crucial one. If it was composed by John after AD70 and the fall of Jerusalem preterism is at once refuted. Revelation is a prophetic book, predicting the coming of Christ in the future. A post-AD70 date...

When the Stars Fall: A Messianic Commentary on the Revelation by Michael D. Bugg About the Time of the End, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the Prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation, in the midst of much clamor and opposition. --Sir Isaac Newton Introduction Over eighty years ago, H.A. Ironside wrote, “It is certainly cause for deep regret that to so many Christians the Book of Revelation seems to be what God never intended it should be—a sealed book.”[1] Sadly, eight decades later, the situation is little changed. Why is...

Three or four days a week, Darren Hiers gets lunch at a Sterling convenience store near the car dealership where he works. He grabs a chicken sandwich and a soda and heads to the checkout counter, where a little gadget scans his index finger and instantly deducts the money from his checking account. Hiers doesn't have to pull out his wallet to buy lunch -- and if it were up to him, he'd never have to write a check or swipe a credit card again. The finger scan used at the shop in Sterling, known as a biometric payment system...

Ask believing Christians – probably from as young as 8 years of age – what their mission as Christians is, and it is overwhelmingly likely they will answer, "to bring people to Christ" or "spread the Gospel." Ask any non-Christian what the Christian mission is, and you will get the same answer. Just about everyone, Christian or non-Christian, knows the Christian mission. Now ask any Jew, religious or secular, "What is the Jewish mission?" and the most likely response will be: "What do you mean?" Most religious Jews rarely talk about a Jewish mission. Rather, they are preoccupied with survival:...

For centuries, people have been intrigued by the number 666, the "number of the beast" from the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. Not only is it mentioned in the Bible, it has been associated with the Satanism, universal price codes and the game of roulette, as the numbers on the wheel add up to 666. Now, the legendary number is getting a fresh look, as researchers are re-examining evidence the number may actually be 616. In the King James Version of the Bible, the well-known verse of Revelation 13:18 reads: "Let him that hath understanding count the number...

Revelation! 666 is not the number of the beast (it's a devilish 616) By Tom Anderson 01 May 2005 A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616. The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now...

See Revelations. I guess it was stupid to think TV would get right even in the post-Passion era.

HOUR 3 9pm 2005-04-27 ALL NEW! DR. MASSEY AND SISTER JO'S SEARCH FOR THE MIRACLE CHILD TAKES THEM TO ROME -- Dr. Richard Massey (Bill Pullman) and Sister Jo (Natascha McElhone) travel to Italy to speak with the mother of the miracle child who believes that shadowy figures attempted to take the baby from her. In the meantime, a mysterious seductress leads Massey's stepson Hawk (Mark Rendall) away from the protection of his bodyguard and into the grasp of Satanists, Ogden (guest star Fred Durst, "Limp Bizkit") and Tulia (Caryn Green). And, imprisoned Satanist Isaiah Haden (Michael Massee) attempts to...

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth ..." Revelation l8:2-5 The assault on the Bible believing Christians and others in the state of Maine who hold high moral values and ethics began immediately after the legislature passed and the governor signed the special homosexual rights bill. It is loud, virulent...

HOUR 2 TRUE OR FALSE PROPHECIES- In the second hour of NBC's event series "Revelations," astrophysicist Dr. Richard Massey (Bill Pullman) and Sister Josepha (Natascha McElhone) are led deeper into a whirlwind of events that may signal the End of Days. With Satanist Isaiah Haden (Michael Massee) safely in prison, Dr. Massey attempts to return to his old life, only to be pulled out of it once more when he is asked to reconsider the possible source of messages that are transmitted by a young girl languishing in a coma that could be coming from his slain daughter, Lucy. Massey...

I can hardly wait !! The second part of Revelations - an NBC six-part mini-series about something or other is on tonight. If you missed the first part,let me fill you in. Something awful is going to happen,and Sister Severely must convince renowned Harvard astrophysicist I.B. Skeptical to help-but-she's having trouble getting through to him. (Everybody knows men never listen !) You know Sister Severely is on the up-and-up,because she talks with a sort of Scots-Irish lilt,just like Whats-her-name in "Touched by an Angel"... and she works for a Foundation. Dr. Skeptical is a MAN OF SCIENCE ,however,and lives up...

The newest volume of Oxyrhynchus Papyri contains a fragmentary papyrus of Revelation which is the earliest known witness to some sections (late third / early fourth century). A detailed discussion of its place in the MS tradition is given in the printed volume. You will find images at 150dpi and 300dpi in the papyri section of this site, accessible from the main menu. One feature of particular interest is the number that this papyrus assigns to the Beast: 616, rather than the usual 666. (665 is also found.) We knew that this variant existed: Irenaeus cites (and refutes) it. But...

HOUR 1 - Series Premiere 9pm 2005-04-13 ALL NEW! COULD THE END OF DAYS BE NEAR? -- From executive producer Gavin Polone ("Panic Room") and writer/creator David Seltzer ("The Omen") comes "Revelations," a six-hour event series starring Bill Pullman ("Independence Day") as Harvard professor Dr. Richard Massey, an astrophysicist who is certain that all worldly events can be explained by Science. In the series premiere, Dr. Massey is dealing with the tragic murder of his 12-year-old daughter by a maniacal murderer, Isaiah Haden (Michael Massee, "24"), who was captured and imprisoned. After a strange course of events, Massey is challenged...

Published: Friday, February 18, 2005 Creation groans By George Weigel Prior to the devastating tsunami that wrought havoc across the Indian Ocean last December, many Christians probably thought that St. Paul was waxing metaphorical when he wrote about creation "groaning in travail" as it "awaits with eager longing the revealing of the sons of God" (Romans 8: 22, 19). Now we know. Or, perhaps better, now we have been reminded: creation is "groaning," because creation has not experienced the finality of redemption. And when creation "groans," its travail can have devastating effects. It was probably inevitable that the tsunami would...

The Second Coming of Christ "When do you think Jesus is coming again? What's your view on the rapture? Are you pre-tribulation or post-tribulation?" There is great trouble in our world. Nation against nation. Mothers killing their own children. People who normally are peaceful and loving are becoming angry, hateful, and violent. And millions of Christians are loving it. Because they think it means that any day now they will suddenly disappear, "raptured" into the sky, where they will have no more problems. I realize that I am taking on one of the favorite sacred cows of the modern neo-fundamentalist...

Antony Flew, the 81-year-old British philosophy professor who taught at Oxford and other leading universities, became an atheist at age 15. Throughout his long career he argued—including in debates with an atheist-turned-Christian named C. S. Lewis—that there was a “presumption of atheism,” that is, the existence of a creator could not be proved. But he’s now been forced to face the evidence. It comes from the Intelligent Design movement, led by Dr. Phillip Johnson and particularly the work of Michael Behe, the Lehigh biochemist who has proven the “irreducible complexity” of the human cell structure. Though eighty-one years old, Flew...

Despite some changes, China's one-child family planning program remains a source of coercion, forced abortions, infanticide and perilously imbalanced boy-girl ratios, State Department officials said Tuesday.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Forget what you've heard from the doom-and-gloom crowd -- the Apocalypse foretold in the Holy Bible won't really be so bad, a leading theologian says. Bible scholar Dr. Parker Creaston believes that, contrary to widespread belief, the Apocalypse will entail a brief period of "mild to moderate" disorder followed swiftly by worldwide peace and harmony. "I'm tired of seeing so-called experts whip people into a state of hysteria -- and get rich from books that play on the public's worst fears," said Dr. Creaston, who outlines his views in a thought-provoking pamphlet entitled The Apocalypse: Why Worry?...

Prophetic Signs that we are in the End Times Contender Ministries -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bible gives many examples of signs that should warn us of the coming end of the age. Six such signs are given by Jesus, two characteristics are given by Paul, and eleven other occurrences are given by the prophets to occur prior to or soon after the end of the age. While we are also told we will not know the time of the End, God obviously wanted us to know when that time was getting closer. As the Christian church is increasingly drawn into the interfaith...

When Incrementalism Really Means Compromise I was a mere high school student when I attended my first "contemporary" church service during the "Jesus Freak" movement of the early 1970's in Costa Mesa, California.  Up to that point in my life, I was exposed to more formal type church services only.  Nevertheless, this new kind of church service shocked me very little, because I was made aware (many times, until the point was driven home), of the "logic" behind this modern type worship. The example I heard most promoting the positive aspects of this new movement was, "we are building bridges to...

[FReepers, please note that this article was written sometime prior to 2000, most likely around 1998 - AM] A growing number of evangelicals, disturbed by cries of the end, are reviving an old view of Revelation that avoids date-setting According to a recent Associated Press news report, when the year 2000 arrives computers throughout the world may be thrown into confusion. Many big computers at such computer-dependent institutions as insurance companies and banks track the year by using only the last two digits, rather than all four. Consequently, these computers will read the last two digits of 2000 as if...

Why do priests use incense at Mass? — A reader in AlexandriaIncense is an aromatic substance which is the resin from certain trees. When burned over charcoal, the incense produces a sweet smelling aroma. To make the smoke thicker and to enhance the fragrance, sometimes other perfumes are blended with the incense.The use of incense in the ancient world was common, especially in religious rites where it was used to keep demons away. Herodotus, the Greek historian, recorded that it was popular among the Assyrians, Babylonians and Egyptians. In Judaism, incense was included in the thanksgiving offerings of oil, grain,...

Only on a panel sponsored by the Campaign for America's Future.Boston"ARE YOU ALL READY TO TAKE BACK AMERICA?" Robert Borosage, the co-director of Campaign for America's Future, asked on Wednesday, standing in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge. And the crowd sure was ready. They hooted and hollared. They roared and screamed. They nodded their heads vigorously. The day before, Michael Moore had stopped by. On Wednesday, Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Barbara Lee, former senator Gary Hart, and Ambassador Joe Wilson took the stage.The occasion was a debate on the Iraq war, which may...

This study evolved from the Threat Matrix Thread to the Threat Potentials Thread. The study is becoming detailed and I thought it needed it's own thread to make easier access to the information. I am going to copy and paste the first seven chapters and comments. Feel free to comment at any time on any verse and or cross reference. May GOD Bless us with His divine wisdom. Amen

GREETINGS, FOLLOWING is a note re todays Alaskan quake. First a comment about this thread. SOME FREEPERS are fascinated with fringe areas of reality. Some of us even think the fringe areas of knowledge, research, anecdotal stories and the like will have very impactful effects on the WAR ON TERROR, WWIII, Biblical end time events etc. WE ALSO FIND FREEPERS FULL OF GREAT CREATIVITY OF THOUGHT, INSIGHT, WORK RELATED EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS ETC. useful in collecting diverse puzzle pieces and in analyzing them. This diversity is priceless and virtually unavailable on any other site. While we are seriously interested in...

Happy New Year's Eve to all at Free Republic!!! Make your predictions for 2004. Good Luck!!!