An Eternal Hell is for Real - The Heresy of Annihilationism?
Thanks for your question. This is a humbling issue. The Doctrine of an Eternal Hell is very clearly taught in such historic documents as the The Westminster Confession of Faith (33 - Of the Last…
The Re-Newed or New Covenant?
In Jeremiah 31:31 we see God renewing, restoring, or refreshing - not replacing - the covenant with his people. So why do we express the covenant in such terms? While there are a myriad of answers…
The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments
"How does the ministry of the Holy Spirit differ in the Old and New Testaments? Were Old Testament believers permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit, or did the Spirit simply come upon them for…
Can you explain Romans 11?
An answer to this question is quite involved, so it will be rather long and covered in four sections. Romans 11:1-10 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an…
Tongues Have Ceased
(This answer represents my personal views and not necessarily those of everyone at Thirdmill). Introduction Perhaps no other issue has so divided the modern church more than the gift of speaking in…
Who is the One True Church?
There are many denominations that have declared themselves to be the "one true church": The Roman Catholic Church; the Orthodox Church; the Oriental Orthodox communion; and the Assyrian Church of the…
Muhammad and Machmaddim - Song of Songs 5:16
Song of Songs 5:16 "His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem." The phrase "altogether lovely" is the Hebrew word…
Sin had not reached its full measure?
Thanks for your question. God sovereignly times the arrival of his divine judgment with the fullness of the sin(s) to be judged. God is not quick tempered; he is patient, even with the wicked (Rom…
Does God Change His Mind?
When we speak of God not changing we are speaking of his nature. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). Theologically, this is called God's immutability (Num. 23:19; 1…
What is the purpose of the millennium?
At Third Millennium, we are amillennialists, believing that the "millennium" is simply a metaphoric representation of the time period between the first and second advents of Christ. As…
Jesus' Divinity in the Synoptic Gospels
Affirmation The Bible is comprised of two testaments (Old & New), sixty-six inspired books, 1189 chapters, 31,173 verses, and 773,692 words. The sixty-six books of the Bible were written by…
Overview of the Book of Joel
Overview of the Book of Joel Author: The prophet Joel. Purpose: To call God's people to repentance so they could escape judgment and enjoy blessings on the approaching day of the Lord. Date: Unknown…
What is the Gap Theory?
The Gap Theory may be represented as such: Perfect Creation (Gen. 1:1) [Time, Fossils, Fall of Satan] Utter Destruction & Chaos (Gen. 1:2). The Gap Theory (aka: Gap Creationism, Ruin-reconstruction…
Annihilationism Error: Hebrew Word Definition Charts
Some "teachers" are twisting, turning, and torturing many words in the Hebrew and Greek language and stating that they mean "total annihilation or nothingness" - "ceasing to even exist," as they…
Christ in the Old Testament
This is a work in progress (no section is complete) The possibility of one man fulfilling only 8 OT prophecies is one in 10^17. That is a 10 with 17 zeroes after it! Imagine the state of Texas…
Overview of the Book of Zephaniah
Overview of the Book of Zephaniah Author: The prophet Zephaniah. Purpose: To call the people of Jerusalem and Judah to repentance in the face of the Babylonian invasion and hope in a grand…
Understanding Armageddon and Revelation Chronology
Thanks for writing! I don't know how Kim would answer your questions. My own take on the book is recorded in this video series: https://thirdmill.org/seminary/course.asp/vs/rev. The second lesson is…
Antinomianism and Homosexuality?
Such an assumption would be incorrect. First, Romans 6:14 (cf. Gal 3:23-25; Eph 2:15) states, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." But Romans 6:14 is…
Kline on the Covenant of Works
Yes, our official position is that of the Westminster Standards (WCF 7.2; 19.1,6; WLC 30, 97). That being said, we tend to understand that position somewhat differently than do some others within the…
False Prophets
In both questions there is a similar problem: If God says (through a prophet) that he's going to do something, then he either says (through the prophet) that he isn't, or in fact he does not do it…
Elizabeth and Mary as Prophetesses
Your raise some very important points. I'll try to comment on three of them. 1. The issue of interpreting Elizabeth and Mary in line with the Old Testament prophets is a somewhat complicated one. In…
John 3:5 and Baptism
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace you have been saved through…
Seconds, Please!
All Christians believe in the present work of the Holy Spirit in the world, church and lives of individuals. This was promised in the Old Testament as the gift of the last days (Joel 2:28—32)…
The Doctrine of Predestination in Twelve Bullet Points
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a very helpful aid for understanding this doctrinal point in Scripture. In Chapter III is speaks about God's eternal decrees: Of God's Eternal Decree I. God…