Sermons and Biblical Studies

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," March-April 2004 The book of Revelation contains many strange and fantastic images that inspire the imagination and motivate Bible students to chase out their veiled meanings. Who has not wondered about the identity of the Beast or considered the implications of Satan the Devil as a dragon? Throughout … Continue reading “The Four Horsemen (Part One): In the Saddle?”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," March-April 2004 Matthew 24:32-44 contains a number of important instructions every disciple of Jesus Christ needs to consider deeply because his salvation may be greatly enhanced by doggedly following it. First, His instruction is not given to the general public but directly to His disciples, so He intends it … Continue reading “The Beast and Babylon (Part One)”

by Staff Forerunner, March-April 2004 What was Jesus thinking about during His last hours as a human? While He was suffering under the pains of torture and cruel death, did He dwell on the horrible sins for which He was dying? It seems highly unlikely that our pure and sinless Savior spent much time thinking … Continue reading “Jesus’ Final Human Thoughts (Part Two)”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, March-April 2004 Nowadays, everyone from grammar school pupils to graduate students use “search criteria” to locate information quickly on the Internet. Search criteria are those “signposts” a search engine uses to locate websites. For example, if I wanted a good recipe for my favorite pie, my “search criteria” would be … Continue reading “Searching for Israel (Part One): The Promises to the Faithful”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "WorldWatch," March-April 2004 The Vatican’s Islam Dilemma The Catholic Church can no longer ignore the growing influence and cultural disturbance of Islam, the fastest growing religion in the world, particularly in areas where Catholicism has traditionally been the dominant religious factor—such as Europe and the United States. In Britain, for … Continue reading “WorldWatch March-April 2004”

by Staff Forerunner, February 2004 What was in Jesus' mind during His final hours as a human being? This was the intriguing question put to me a few months ago by a fellow member of God's church. As we approach another Passover season, this question is an appropriate one. Occasionally, the authors of Forerunner articles … Continue reading “Jesus’ Final Human Thoughts (Part One)”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," March 6, 2004 The principle of duality is an element of prophecy we have to be very careful about when attempting to interpret. Prophetic statements sometimes apply to more than one fulfillment; dual applications do exist. But at the same time, it can be a lure, trapping us into … Continue reading “Prophecy and the Sixth-Century Axial Period”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "WorldWatch," February 2004 U.S. Foreign Policy Since the events of September 11, 2001, which initiated the current U.S.-Islamist tensions, the U.S. has had only marginal success in influencing the geopolitics of the Middle East—until recently. Now, from North Africa through the Middle East and South Asia, even to the “rogue … Continue reading “WorldWatch February 2004”

by Martin G. Collins Forerunner, "Ready Answer," February 2004 Quite often we hear people say: “Goodness!” “My goodness!” or “For goodness' sake!” What comes to mind when you hear these expressions? People use these exclamations without any intended meaning other than an expression of surprise or wonder. Many recognize that goodness is directly or indirectly … Continue reading “Fear the Lord’s Goodness!”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," March 7, 2004 “The destructive questioning of the highest human values by Jewry shows that Jews are already excluded from the ethnic-national life of other nations by virtue of their mode of thought, which flows precisely from their race, and that they should therefore be excluded from the … Continue reading “Blood and Soil: The Persistence of Anti-Semitism”