New Testament Texts

As we saw earlier, Matthew 9 concludes with Jesus preaching to large crowds and instructing the disciples to pray earnestly for more laborers to be sent out to gather in the harvest (Matt 9:35–38). Now Jesus takes action by instructing the disciples for their mission and sending them out to procl...

Matthew 9 concludes the two-chapter sequence of miracle stories. The chapter begins with the healing of the paralytic, but the story is more about forgiveness than healing (Matt 9:1–8). It is followed by the call of Levi (Matt 9:9) and three parables of Jesus illustrating His kingdom-based minist...

Matthew 8 begins a two-chapter sequence of miracle stories in groups of three, organized topically rather than chronologically. In the first group, Jesus cleanses a leper, heals the servant of a centurion, and banishes the fever of Peter’s mother-in-law, followed by a brief summary of further hea...

In Matthew 7, Jesus continues expounding on the ethics of the kingdom of heaven and includes some wonderful promises. But He also challenges us personally and individually regarding how we relate to God’s law and His teachings. Our attitude toward judging, asking, and giving, culminating with the...

Matthew 6, in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, contains some of Jesus’ most practical teachings. It begins by focusing on true worship, which is deeply personal, and it includes instruction on giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting (Matt 6:1–18). This leads directly into a consideration of...

The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7 is the first of Jesus’ five major discourses recorded by Matthew, each of which unfolds different facets of the kingdom of heaven. The first and last discourses act as bookends, describing the kingdom in its present and future dimensions respectively. The Se...

Matthew 4 begins with Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness for forty days. As in Mark and Luke, it occurs immediately after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist and prior to His ministry in Galilee. The Gospel of John does not mention Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness at all and Mark’s description...

In the history of Adventist interpretation of Revelation 14:6–11 the focus has been predominantly on historical application rather than on careful exegesis of the text. As we will face in the not-too-distant future the bicentennial anniversary of the Great Expectation of 1844, and as we recognize that these end-time messages have a long history, we need to look at the text afresh to find an understanding more consistent with the mega narrative of the book. This presentation proposes that proper exegesis of the three angels’ messages can be established only by careful analysis of Revelation 12 and 13 as the backdrop for the messages. There are two sets of competing messages: the messages of the dragon and the two beasts, and the countering messages of the three angels. And the inhabitants of the world were threatened by the angels just as the saints were threatened by the coercion of the false trinity.

The epistle of Jude is shrouded with rich theological significance, in spite of its shortness. Theological themes like the order of salvation, faith, mission, worship, judgment, the great controversy, the second coming, the end of the world, and others are interwoven in the fabric of Jude. The book starts with protology and ends with climactic and cosmic victorious eschatology. This presentation explores Michael’s role in the great controversy according to Jude. References to Michael in the Bible are all in the context of intense violence, war, death, and resurrection. Indeed the highlight of Jude’s eschatology is Michael, the heavenly warrior who victoriously defends His people and will end the great controversy.

While historicism is the accepted approach to the prophetic interpretation of Revelation by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in the last several decades some Adventist pastors and laymen have attempted to reinterpret the prophecies of Revelation—in particular the seven trumpets—along futuristic lines. Some also argue for the dual application of Revelation’s prophecies by trying to combine historicism with futurism. This presentation shows that the traditional interpretation of some of the book’s key visions have significantly contributed to the increasing futuristic trend observed among Adventist membership today. It will show that the book of Revelation itself points to historicism as the most appropriate and the only valid approach to prophetic interpretation. Some practical suggestions will be offered to show how the meaningful interpretation of some key passages of the book—including the messages to the seven churches, the vision of chapters 4–5, and the introductory vision to the seven trumpets—serves as a safeguard from the pitfall of futurism. Some attention will be given to the seven trumpets and the seven last plagues, which are strongholds for the futurist position.