Author: Jim Cantelon

Key Verse: Matthew 1:20 “…that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew is the only one of the gospel writers who starts his record of the life and ministry of Jesus with a genealogy. Genealogies aren’t fun to read. In fact, they can be downright boring, but Matthew seeks to clearly demonstrate that Jesus Christ was the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. He sees it important that Jesus comes from the line of men who had a special relationship in history with God and His plan. God gave a promise to Abraham, and He gave a promise to David. Jesus Christ,...

Key Verse: Revelation 16:5 “Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say; ‘You are just in these judgments, You who are and who were, the Holy One, because You have so judged…” In this chapter we see the anger of God at sin and the demands of His justice. Seven angels “pour out” the contents of the “seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God” (15:7). The first bowl brings a plague of ulcers upon “the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image” (v.2). The second bowl befouls the sea (v.3) while the third...

Key Verse: Revelation 15:4a “Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy.” In chapters 15 and 16 we read about God’s wrath. This isn’t pleasant reading, and if we’ve thought of God only in terms of His love, these chapters can be disconcerting and even repellent. But we’ve got to understand something — Jesus didn’t come to earth merely to give us a good example, nor was His death at Calvary some sort of morality play. He didn’t come to make us better people. He came to make us new. Why? Because God...

Key Verse: Revelation 14:3a “And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.” John now shifts from a description of the beast and his worshippers (ch.13) to a description of the Lamb and His followers. Consistent with Old Testament expectation, the venue is Mount Zion. Micah, for instance, foresaw the day when God would gather the faithful remnant to Mount Zion and reign over them forever (Mic. 4:6-8). Joel and Isaiah also saw something similar (Joel 2:32; Is. 1:19-12; 40:1-46:13). Who are these “144,000”? In chapter 7,...

Key Verse: Revelation 13:8 “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast — all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” Two “beasts” appear in this chapter. It is quite characteristic of apocalyptic visions for animals to symbolize human beings. In this instance, we see (in v.18) that the beast is a man, for he has a “man’s number”. For many readers, the book of Revelation is dominated by the number “666”. And all kinds of attempts have been made...

Key Verse: Revelation 12:11 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” In this chapter, we read of a “war in heaven” (vb.7) precipitated by an attempt by Satan to destroy the pre-existent Messiah — the “male cild, who will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre” (v.5). One of the unusual aspects of this account is the use of the past tense. John writes of something that has already happened both in the heavenly and earthly realms. In reading about Satan’s downfall (vv.8,9) one thinks of Jesus’...

Key Verse: Revelation 11:15b “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord an of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever.” As John’s vision continues, he is given a measuring device and is told to “measure the temple of God and the altar” and to “count the worshippers there” (v.1). He is also told not to measure the “outer court” because it has been given to “the Gentiles” who will “trample on the holy city for 42 months” (v.2). Then the speaker refers to “my two witnesses” (the speaker...

Key Verse: Revelation 10:6b, 7 “‘There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets.'” The key verse is a quote from a “mighty angel” who comes “down from heaven” (v.1). He is of immense size, his body “robed in a cloud”, with a “rainbow above this head”, his face shining “like the sun”, and his legs “like fiery pillars”. He places one foot on the sea and the other on...

Key Verse: Revelation 9:20a “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands…” By now you’ve seen how difficult it is to try to analyze and systematize the content of apocalyptic writing. John is describing a vision, and in so doing is attempting the describe the indescribable. Scores of well-meaning attempts have been made over the years to tell us what John “re3ally meant”, but all such efforts should be taken with more than a grain of salt. Especially if the would-be interpreter is dogmatic about...

Key Verse: Revelation 8:6 “Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.” The seventh seal is opened and a half-hours silence follows (v.1). As the silence ends, John sees “seven angels who stand before God” being given “seven trumpets” (v.2). These seven angels haven’t been mentioned as yet, but they are probably some kind of personification of the “seven spirits” before the throne in 1:4. They are given seven trumpets and each angel in turn blows his trumpet. But before they blow their trumpets another angel appears....