Eschatology Archive

Who is the Antichrist?

For centuries Christians have speculated about the identity of Antichrist. Likely candidates have included princes and popes of the past as well as potentates and presidents in the present. Rather than joining the sensationalistic game of pin–the–tail–on–the–Antichrist, Christians need only go to Scripture to find the answer. First, the apostle John exposed the identity of [...]

Who are the two witnesses of Revelation?

Revelation is an apocalypse. Not just in the sense of recording an unveiling but also in terms of its composition in what might best be described as a language system or matrix deeply embedded in the Old Testament. As such, to rightly identify the two witnesses of Revelation 11, it is crucial to have the [...]

Who are the 144,000 of Revelation?

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe there is a “little flock” of 144,000 (Revelation 7:4) who get to go to heaven and a “great crowd’ (Revelation 7:9) of others who are relegated to earth. What does Revelation really reveal? First, the 144,000 and the great multitude are not two different peoples but two different ways of describing the [...]

Which generation is “this generation”?

In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matthew 24:34). Which generation did Jesus have in mind? First, when Jesus says, “this generation,” this means this. This does not mean that. The phrase “this generation” appears multiple times in [...]

Is “coming on clouds” a reference to Christ’s second coming?

Many modern skeptics, following scholars such as Bertrand Russell and Albert Schweitzer, have believed Jesus to be a false prophet because he predicted his “coming on clouds” within the lifetime of his disciples. Did Jesus have the Second Coming in mind or does “coming on clouds” have a different meaning? First, when Jesus told Caiaphas [...]

Does the Bible make a distinction between Israel and the Church?

At the heart of a currently popular end–times theology is the belief that God has two distinct people—one of whom must be raptured before God can continue his plan with the other. Rather than teaching that God has two categories of people, Scripture reveals only one chosen people who form one covenant community, beautifully symbolized [...]

Are Earthquakes Signs of the End Times?

This article first appeared in the Volume 21 / Number 4 / 1999 issue of the Christian Research Journal. For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: www.equip.org. Summary: Has an unusual increase in the frequency of big earthquakes afflicted civilizations in the last decades of the twentieth century? Is [...]

Who Are the Two Witnesses of Revelation?

This article first appeared in the Ask Hank column of the Christian Research Journal, volume30, number3 (2007). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive [...]

Is there Evidence for Life after Death?

This article first appeared in the Ask Hank column of the Christian Research Journal, volume29, number5 (2006). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy [...]

Who Is the Antichrist?

This article first appeared in the Ask Hank column of the Christian Research Journal, volume 28, number 1 (2005). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org For centuries Christians have speculated about the identity of the Antichrist. Likely candidates have included European monarchs and popes of the Roman [...]