Jim’s Blog

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 […]

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 […]

Matthew 5 Salt and Light vv. 13-16 – Part 2 Looking over to his right, seeing the town of Safat on the mountainside, he says his followers will be as conspicuous in the world as a city built on a hill. Their light will shine. Their influence will permeate like salt. They will become critical […]

Key Verse: Revelation 7:17 “For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Reading Revelations is like looking through a kaleidoscope. The colours, the patterns, the overall picture keeps changing — it […]

Key Verse: Revelation 6:16, 17 “They called to the mountains and the  rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand?’” The Lamb opens the first seal, […]

Key Verse:  Revelation 5:9 “And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every trice and language and people and nation.” John now sees a “scroll” in “the right hand of Him […]

Key Verse: Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.” The vision continues. Here we see the “throne room” of heaven. It’s a key description for a number of reasons, not […]

Matthew 5 Salt and Light vv. 13-16 – Part 1 You don’t have to be a scientist. All you do is “Google” the question. “Can salt lose its saltiness?” The answer is clear. “Sodium chloride is readily water-soluble, so if this crude salt were exposed to condensation or rain water, the sodium chloride could be […]

Key Verse: Revelation 3:16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.” Lynn Harold Hough, in his exposition of this passage, draws our attention to the prophet Zephaniah (Interpreter’s Bible, vol.12, p.397). Consider these words: “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps […]