Word of the Day: The Last Trump

A reference to the beginning of the Rapture, taken from 1 Corinthians 15:52;

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This is sometimes interpreted to mean that a trumpet will sound, from heaven, to signal the Rapture to start, as in 1 Thessalonians 4:16...

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

...and in Revelation 11:15, when the 7th and final trumpet sounds:

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Another interpretation of the Last Trump, is that the Rapture will occur when a trumpet sounds on Earth, such as a shofar blown for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27)

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

It should be noted that when asked about the end, Jesus stated (as chronicled in Matthew 24:36, 

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only

During Jesus' time, the beginning of Rosh Hasahnah was also unknown--requiring a sighting of the new moon, rather than a fixed calendar date. The start of this Holy Day was often described as the "Day and Hour no man knows". This has led some to conclude that The Rapture will take place after a shofar (trumpet) blast made for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, while others stick to a literal interpretation that no one but the Father will know when Jesus is sent to gather the church.

Word of the Day: The Battle of Armageddon

After the 7 year period of the Great Tribulation, there is prophesied to be the Second Coming of Christ, when Jesus will return to Earth, with his saints and the armies of heaven, and wage a great battle (Revelation 19:19-21) against Satan, the Antichrist, and their followers in the valley of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16);

And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. (Revelation 16:16)

...

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

(Revelation 19:19-21)

The end of this battle, when Satan and the Antichrist are imprisoned for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3), marks the beginning of Christ's Millennial reign on Earth.

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Revelation-Chapter-20/

Word of the Day: Daniel's 70th Week

The prophet Daniel prophesied seventy "weeks" regarding the future of Israel. The word used by Daniel, shabua, means a period of 7, not necessarily 7 days.

The 70th week in Daniel's prophecy deals with the events of the Great Tribulation. Daniel explains in 9:26 that a prince will come (the antichrist) who will destroy the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary. In 9:27, Daniel further spells out the tribulation:

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Modern interpretation is that 3 and 1/2 years after the appearance of the antichrist, he will turn on Israel and desecrate the newly-rebuilt Third Temple, triggering God's Wrath. These events are believed to be further described, in greater detail, in the Book of Revelation. As such, many sermons refer to the Great Tribulation period as "Daniel's 70th Week".

Word of the Day: The Wrath of God

A term used to describe actions taken by God, the Father, in reaction to evil. Past examples include the Great Flood and the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

In terms of the End Times, the Wrath of God is a reference to the 7 Bowl Judgements and the 7 Trumpets described in Revelation 6 to Revelation 18--a period of time known as the Great Tribulation, that begins with Jesus opening a seven-sealed book in Heaven (Revelation: 6:1);

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

Following the opening of the seven seals by Christ, the wrath of God is poured out on the earth by seven angels (Revelation 16:1):

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

NOTE: In some translations, vials is used in place of bowls.

Word of the Day: The Wheat and the Tares

An expression related to the separation of believers from non-believers during the end times, as in Matthew 13; 

(30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

(38) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

(39)The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

(40)As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

For Rapture-deniers, the parable Jesus gave confirms that only after the Great Tribulation will the believers in Christ be raised from the earth.

For believers in the Rapture, the parable is related to events that occur after the rapture; that the Angels unleash God's Wrath upon the world, as described in Revelation 5 through 18, after the opening of the seven-sealed book, by Christ. 

In Revelation 19, Christ returns to Earth, to establish his Kingdom for one thousand years; 

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The fate of believers separated from non-believers is then explained in 

Revelation 20:4; 

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

NOTE: The Goats and the Sheep is another reference to the separation of believers from non-believers, taken from Matthew 25:31-33

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Word of the Day: Abomination of Desolation

An end times event described by both the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:27) and Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:15), pertaining to an action undertaken by the Anti-christ, against the Jewish people:

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

--Matthew 24:15

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

--Daniel 9:27

This event is often described as the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and is believed by many to indicate there will be a Third Temple built before or during the Anti-christ's reign. 

Word of the Day: Incorruptible

Used to describe an eternal body that doesn't age, decay, die, etc. The term is often used in conjuction with end times discussion, such as the Rapture, or the Millennial Kingdom, such as in 1 Corinthians 15:52; 

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Word of the Day: Gentile

A person not in the Jewish faith, nor descended from Jewish ancestors. Basically, anyone not Jewish.

Initially, Jesus preached to the Jews residing in Roman-occupied Israel. However, he later included Gentiles among those who were to hear his message and be saved. The Apostle Paul is considered the Apostle for Gentiles. 

In some instances, Gentile is used in place of ethnikoi, or Pagan--Gentiles were considered pagans (non-Jews) in Jesus' time. (Matthew 6:7) 

The first named Gentile in the New Testament is the Roman Centurion and resident of Caesara, Cornelius (Acts 10)

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

Word of the Day: Jew

Someone belonging to the ethnic group of people originating in the Middle East, descended from Abraham. The term comes from the Greek/Roman adaptation of "Yehudah", which was a territory of the Israelite tribe; the Kingdom of Judah (930 B.C. to 587 B.C.). 

Today, the term is also applied to someone converting to the Jewish religion--in this sense, there are "Arabic" Jews, "Egyptian" Jews, etc.

Within the Bible, there are multiple sub-groups and sects of "Jews". In the modern Christian church, it is sometimes said that "Jews" killed Jesus (who, like his followers, was Jewish). This is not entirely accurate, in that it was the Pharisees (a religious sect or sub-group of the Sanhedrin) who demanded Jesus' arrest, then whipped up a gathering of Jewish people to demand his execution (see Matthew 27:11-26).

A more accurate description would be that "some Jews" demanded Christ's execution. As a whole, there were more Jewish people who followed Jesus, than engineered his arrest and demanded his execution.

Today, the nation of Israel is comprised of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and non-Judeo-Christian citizens. It is a common misconception to call Israelis "Jews".

Word of the Day: Amen

Normally used to end a prayer, or to voice agreement with someone elses statement, "Amen" is derived from a Hebrew word meaning "truth" or "so be it" (as in, it is true). Amen was also used by the greeks, and appears throughout the Old and New Testaments. 

In some instances, Amen is used as praise. In other instances, it can be used as a request, as in Let it be so. 

Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(1 Peter 5:14)

Word of the Day: Hallelujah

Also spoken or written as Alleluia, the word is used in place of "Praise the Lord". 

In Revelation 19:1, the multitude gathered before God proclaim Alleluia;

And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the LORD our God:

The word is often used to day to add emphasis when speaking about God, or Christ, or what they have done. 

Salvation, Simplified

For a new believer, Christianity may seem overwhelming. The Bible is not by any means short--it requires many hours or even months of study. THe Apostle Paul simplified the gospel in First Corinthians 15.  

Even that might be confusing to some. So, here's a super-simple breakdown:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:1)

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 6:23)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
(Hebrews 2:9)

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
(Acts 3:19)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(Romans 10:9)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(Ephesians 2:8)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
(1 Timothy 2:5)

Word of the Day: Hosanna

Appearing in some songs of praise, Hosanna, is similar to Hallelujah, but is a plea for salvation, or a call for Christ to save believers from the world.

Word of the Day: Maranatha

An aramaic word for "the Lord is coming" or "Come, O Lord". Used today as a call for Jesus to come, either as in for the Rapture, or the 2nd Coming.

The word was historically used as a greeting between early Christians.

Today, the word is used as a reminder of Christ's impending return.

Word of the Day: Blasphemy

Blasphemy is the speaking with contempt about God or with irreverence or insult towards God or established scriptural teachings. Taking God's name in vain (using it as a profanity) is an example of a blasphemous act, and is even explicitly prohibited in the Third Commandment (Exodus 20:7);

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Jesus pointed out the blasphemy of the Pharisees in Mark 3:22-30, when they had claimed that Jesus had cast out demons by using the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of demons, rather than accepting Jesus had used the Holy Spirit to do so.

22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Word of the Day: Heresy

Something is heresy if it goes against the accepted theology of Christianity. Statements and writings are considered heretical when they contradict what scripture has previously established.

A different opinion on what scripture might mean would not generally be consider heresy. For example, Jonah 1:17 describes Jonah as being swallowed by a "great fish". In most modern churches, this is accepted as meaning Jonah was swallowed by a whale. However, in our modern era we know there were indeed fish, such as the Megalodon shark, which were large enough to have swallowed Jonah. So whether it was a shark or a whale is a matter of opinion on what the original text meant. 

On the other hand, preaching that Jonah wasn't actually swallowed by anything would be considered heresy, because it directly contradicts what scripture has stated. Telling people this is a fable would be heretical. 

Word of the Day: Canon

Authentic, real, or as accepted as fact. 

In Christianity, canonical texts would include the Books of the Old and New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are widely accepted, by Christians, as being written under the authority and/or direction of God. Other texts, such as the Book of Mormon, are not generally accepted as being authentic by modern Christians (outside of the Church of Latter Day Saints).

Similarly, some translations of the Bible, in which changes were made in modern times, such as making God gender-neutral, or removing lines of text, would not be considered canon. For example, proponents of the King James Bible might exclude the English Standard Version due to the many verses omitted, such as Matthew 18:11, or changes in translation from the original Greek and King James English version, such as Revelation 10:1, in which an angel is described as having "feet as pillars of fire" in the Greek and King James English, while he New International Version describes "legs like fiery pillars".

In many instances, Christians may hold a belief that is not canon, such as the need to do good works in order to be saved, which directly contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9;

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Word of the Day: Apologetics

In simplest terms, Apologetics is the defense of the Chrisitan faith and scripture.

The word comes from the Greek word apologia, meaning to defend yourself, verbally.

Classical apologetics includes the sharing of proof and evidence the Christian message is true, for example citing non-Christian historical texts that confirm facts expressed in the writings of the Apostles found in the New Testament. 

Presuppositional Apologetics includes confronting presupposiitons from anti-Christians, such as claims that dinosaurs do not fit within the framework of creation as expressed within the Bible. In fact, dinosaurs are described within the Old Testament, such as in Job 40:15-24;

15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.

16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.

17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.

19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.

20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.

21 He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.

22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.

23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.

24 He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.