Sermons and Biblical Studies

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," December 2004 “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late … Continue reading “The Sixth Seal”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, December 2004 “So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.” (Hebrews 3:11) Assyria conquered the ten-tribed Kingdom of Israel in 718 BC. According to II Kings 17:6, Assyria “carried Israel away to Assyria.” She deported the Israelites en masse, to what is now northern Iran, just … Continue reading “Searching for Israel (Part Eight): The Scattering of Ten-Tribed Israel”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "WorldWatch," December 2004 In an article entitled “Overcoming Motherhood” (Policy Review, December 2002/January 2003, p. 31), Christine Stolba discusses the moral and ethical challenges reproductive technologies offer men and women today. First-generation technologies, extant now for years, allow parents to control the timing and quantity of children. These technologies include … Continue reading “Procreative Madness: The Price Our Offspring Pay for Lawlessness”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, November 2004 “Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15) The mass expulsion of the children of Israel from Canaan, first by Assyrian kings and then by Babylonian ones, left Canaan essentially bereft of Israelites. The theocracy was gone; … Continue reading “Searching for Israel (Part Seven): Seven Years’ Punishment”

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," November 2004 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, … Continue reading “The Fifth Seal (Part Two)”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "WorldWatch," November 2004 Europe's culture has its roots in religion, namely in the teachings of Roman Catholicism and, later, in the various Protestant centers of power in northern Europe. European culture is defined and shaped by Catholic and Protestant Christianity. Cases aside, the various power structures ruling Europe ultimately were … Continue reading “Ich Bin Heide”

by Staff Forerunner, "Ready Answer," November 2004 “Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling, and whomever is led astray by it is not wise.” —Proverbs 20:1 On the subject of wine, poet John Keats writes in his “Ode to a Nightingale”: O for a draught of vintage that hath been Cool'd a long age … Continue reading “Is It a Sin to Drink Alcoholic Beverages?”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, November 2004 We live in a society concerned about rights, privileges, and ownership. We live in houses, which we consider to be “ours,” when in most cases we simply own a mortgage—our bank owns the house. Or, we may be the proud owner of a new car that, upon closer … Continue reading “It’s Not Our Time”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," November 2004 Daniel 3:19-20 illustrates an important pattern of God: Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Therefore he spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded … Continue reading “The Beast and Babylon (Part Seven): How Can Israel Be the Great Whore?”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," September-October 2004 Moses writes in Deuteronomy 7:6-11: For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set … Continue reading “The Beast and Babylon (Part Six): The Woman’s Character”