THE WORLD IS SICK!

One of the local TV stations put up a "Christmas" message that is as crazy as a bed bug! It shows how far off base the world really is, and how little they understand about the Bible, the Lord, and about the purpose of the coming of Christ.    They put this up on the screen: "Tis the season because THE CHRIST is in all of us!"    Now what in the world does that mean? It's pure NEW AGE thinking imposed upon the story of the birth of Christ. And the world probably does not even know what they had in mind!

BIG SEMINARY TRIES TO ADJUST THEIR STAND ON ISRAEL!

Recently, a big local seminary gave over an entire brochure/booklet to the issue of The Gospel and the Jewish People. Dr. Tom McCall believes they did it because they received a lot of complaints in trying to distance themselves from the present State of Israel. While there were some good things in the publication, they said some things that I believe revealed their true feelings about the Jewish people.    One of the professors contributing to the publication said that Jews could worship in their ethnic practices just as Christians who are African-Americans or who are Koreans. In one sense I agree with this statement. For a Jewish Christian to celebrate the feasts of the Old Testament publicly, they are expressing something more. They are showing something that is very biblical and spiritual in nature because of their connection with the Scriptures, and because of the importance of these celebrations even to Gentiles who have been saved through the blessings that were revealed through the prophets of ancient Israel. African-American practices are not the same as that which comes to us through the Bible!     I am not sure what another professor is trying to get across when he writes: "One mistake is to equate the modern secular state of Israel with Israel, the people of God. For those with this point of view, no matter what Israel does, it's considered ok. If the present nation of Israel isn't the nation to come, it's the foundation for it."    It must be remembered that the present day Jewish people are "right now" "from the standpoint of God's choice [His sovereign election] BELOVED [by God] for the sake of the [ancient] fathers [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]" (Rom. 11:28). The reason is that "the gifts and the calling [election] of God are irrevocable [unchangeable]" (v. 29). If the Jews are presently loved by Him, we should then also have a great and deep concern for them as well.    One professor noted that some people say that in our support for Israel, we should stand by them no matter what they do that may be wrong. I have never met anyone who had that view! No one would support Israel if they are wrong in their actions. I have gone to Israel twenty-three times for a total of about one year in time in that nation. And I never saw the Jewish government do anything unjust to the Arabs. How the Jews have kept their cool with all the hate spewed at them by the Muslim Arabs, I just cannot figure out!    By the way, one professor pointed out that recently a "prominent [big] church in Dallas held a seminar on Romans that covered Romans 1-8 and 12-16, but then completely left out Romans 9-11 which is about God's future prophetic plans for Israel. Wow! Unbelievable!      The bottom line: the article could have been stronger and more supportive toward the Jewish people suffering under the world's hate there in the land. And Dr. McCall is probably correct, the articles were written to counter that school's soft ball approach to the Jews in past articles. In my opinion, and Dr. McCall's also, is that an undeserved criticism toward Israel is a first step towards a kind of liberalism and even a denial to dispensationalism. Watch carefully what our evangelical schools are doing in their criticism toward the Jews. – Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

FOX NEWS GOOFS!

Fox News has been putting up "spiritual" announcements about Christmas, which is somewhat refreshing in comparison to what other stations are doing. But they goofed. In one announcement/ad instead of putting up "The King of Israel," they put up "The King of the Angels." This way, they got rid of Israel. What a goof, in my opinion, and a sop dished out in order to placate the Arabs in our country! The evil continues! – Dr. Mal Couch

PRELUDE TO THE END TIMES!

As a historian I'm always studying something about the past 100 years, and especially about the events of World War I & II. Recently, I was given an eye opener as to what happened at the end of World War I that set the world up for end times.    When the war was over, our Presbyterian Christian President, Woodrow Wilson, attempted to be conciliatory to Germany, the reason, he was a Postmillennialist, who believed to a degree in the goodness of mankind. He thought that, at the bottom line, the Germans were really good, and if we resisted in treating them with a certain punishment, the world would get better, and ultimately, the nations would be set up for messianic days. America did not suffer nearly as bad as the nations of Europe. Wilson was pushing for the League of Nations that would form a platform for lasting global peace. But he was wrong!    The four great powers, America, England, Italy, and France tried to hammer out the principles of the League with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. But the other powers would have none of it. And they were right—Wilson was wrong, because his theology was off base.   The big Three felt that if Germany had the chance it would renew the war because the Germanic mind-set did not believe they were beaten. Evil was seething, and the allies were also ready to go back to war if the Germans did not sign the Versailles Treaty that was officially meant to end the conflict.    Europe was a collection of angry nations—the hearts of men were not satisfied! Wilson did not understand this because, while America spent millions of dollars on the struggle and lost many men, it did not suffer to the same degree that Europe did. Wilson was believing that peace was just around the corner, while Europe was actually pushing for a strong power, a strong man, who could guarantee permanent world peace.    In Europe, revolution was boiling, and to a degree, it had jumped the Atlantic Ocean and was touching America. The trade unions were leaning toward the communists and the liberals—democracy was under attack. Wilson did not see it that way. He thought that goodness would triumph because men were basically good.    The possibility of a strong man, an antichrist, was in the air! Germany at first refused to sign the Versailles Treaty because they did not wish to pay the heavy burden of the reparations being put upon them by the allies. This was fanning the flames of revolution and causing men like Hitler to rise up to lead the Germans into another conflict. The French said that Wilson, the old amillennial Presbyterian, was bamboozled and fooled by the Germans. He was going soft on them! The French were right—Wilson was being fooled!    In order to try to prevent the Germans, or others, from going to war again, all European borders were being re-drawn. New nations were created, and old ones were dissolved. Thus, many borders of Europe and even Africa were being changed. This event went further and made Europeans, and especially the Germans, bitter as to what was being forced down their throats.    If the Germans did not sign the Versailles Treaty to end the war, Europe was having troops standing by to invade that country and start up the conflict again. Because things were turned into such a mess, China and Italy walked out of the Conference and did not sign the Versailles document. England was also crushed with all the twists and turns by those who were redrawing the maps of the nations. She would never rule the high seas again, to the detriment of the world.    Even though the Treaty was signed, Wilson knew that all was lost and that the hearts of the leaders were not in the signing. Wilson went home heart broken. The American people, and Congress, did not want to ratify the Treaty either. Wilson died two years later with a heart attack. Germany never forgave the allies or Wilson. The winds of the next war, World War II, were blowing, and evil leaders were coming on the stage who would lead millions into another conflict—such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. The end of World War II pushed Europe into a one world "nation" that is the forerunner for the coming of the antichrist, who in my opinion, is not far off! – Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

AN IDEA FOR CHURCHES ...

I am urging all churches to have printed out some envelops with the names of your congressmen or senators on the front. Then, also pass out sheets (plenty) with fill-in lines so that your people can write messages to these men, sign them, and then keep such messages going to Washington every week or so. This makes it convenient for your congregation to write on a regular basis, and to have addressed envelops ready to go when they need to fire off a message.    Also, I'm urging churches to push voter registration for next fall. We are part of the government in this blessed country, and therefore it is a spiritual and theological obligation to take part in the process of how America goes.    There is a mistaken idea about the separation of church and state. Some think that we cannot keep our tax exemption if we tell our people how to vote but we can urge that they write their congressmen and express what they wish to say. We are going to do this with our local church. I know for a fact that more Christians will be writing if the process is made easy for them and convenient. Addressed envelops and a sheet for a letter will greatly help. -- Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

THE APOSTASY IN THE CHURCHES CONTINUES

The ignorance and the foolishness marches on! I just heard of this two days ago: A large church had an opportunity to hire as a pastor an outstanding Bible teacher who exegetes the Scriptures verse by verse. But the church, with about 400 members, said no. They wanted a "pastor" type who would read a couple of verses and then do typical Southern Baptist church waxing eloquently and "sermonizing" topically, with pounding and waving of arms and legs. In fact they said, "We've never seen anyone 'teach' the Bible. And, we've never seen anyone explain the Bible verse by verse. And, we're not now interested, 'No thank you!'"    This actually happened just a few days ago. The ignorance is massive, and the ignorant are so ignorant, they don't know that they are ignorant!    I knew this could happen, but I was so ignorant about this ignorance, I never thought I'd ever hear of this actually taking place.    Without the explaining and the teaching of the Word of God there can be no growth and clear understanding of what God is saying to us. Besides this problem, many churches have never heard taught the explanation of the great passages of prophetic Scripture. No one knows whether the Lord is coming or going. Many in Southern Baptist churches play the old game that they are pan-millennialists. "It'll all just pan out in the end!" That is so sickening it's not even funny anymore!    A true story: While teaching at one of the most outstanding Southern Baptist universities, I heard one of the Bible professors say that he just told the kids to go to the library and find out the different views on the book of Revelation. He did not plan to teach the book in the classroom, because, he admitted, he knew nothing about it! Another professor had an older student get up in class and explain to the students the different interpretative views of Revelation. He admitted, with his doctorate from Southwest Seminary, that he knew nothing about John's final book. (I hope things have changed there a little since then!)    (I am finishing a book on the coming Millennial Government of Christ. It should be out in about 4 weeks. Many will have never heard about Christ's soon return to establish His Davidic rule on earth!) – Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

I’M CONVICTED ...

"Dr. Couch, on your last posting for your website you convicted me! You wrote: "The men in the pulpit are no longer trained in systematic theology or the biblical languages."    Although I was so trained, I am ashamed to admit that I have let those skills atrophy through the 25 years of disuse! And though I am not a pastor, but a Christian school teacher, I do periodically have the chance to preach. Sensing that the man in the pew wouldn't notice, I have usually taken the easy route to sermon prep (and lesson prep as well).    You ARE right. And I have been wrong and lazy (sinfully so). Beginning today, I covenant that I will begin to re-sharpen the tools, and refresh my Greek and Hebrew. I know it's late in my life and ministry, but perhaps the Lord will have mercy and let me redeem some time. Please pray for me, and keep sharing the truth. God bless. --BJ (New York)"    I have been pounding away on this issue for years now and this is the first time one with such maturity has been so convicted. Thank you for sharing this with me and our audience. Without systematic theology, doctrine dies. Systematic theology is the "systematic" approach to putting together all that the Bible says on a specific doctrine and subject. Without this, we cannot demonstrate properly, say, the doctrine of the nature of our God, the Trinity. I know only of a few schools that teach the proper use of the languages and systematic theology in our country, and especially, down this way. There are schools with young pups teaching who think they know what they're doing, but indeed, they do not! I can recommend none here in Texas! And I mean none!    I'm looking for a few younger men who will pick up the mantle who will train their minds and hearts to really learn the great truths of Scripture. So far I find it difficult to have them stick with the process, and the pain, to finally know what they're doing with God's Word.    Again, thank you for being so candid with your comments. – Dr. Mal Couch(12-09)

FROM A FORMER SUBMARINER!

He is shocked! The navy is talking about putting women on subs. What a morale-killer this former sailor says. We have gone mad in our nation! And there is no end to it. It will not stop! The barn door has been opened and there is no closing it. Once you move away from the objective directives of the Word of God, power rules and the liberal mind-set will have their way. Pray for our nation but I think, without a doubt, we're now moving into "difficult times" as Paul says! – Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

THE BIG LIE!

We've all been told that most of the founding fathers and authors of our constitution were deists. But experts like David Barton, and others, point out that this is a lie that is repudiated by the opposite facts. We know for certain that of the signers, 28 were Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Catholics, and only 2 were know deists. Some think that it is possible that only one might have been a deists but there is questions on this. Usually, the deists were listed as Hugh Williamson, James Wilson, and Benjamin Franklin. At most deism was the religion of 3 out of 55, or 51/2 percent of the signers!    As a condition of church membership in colonial America, the adherents had to be sworn in to believing in their church's doctrinal statement, which included belief in the Bible as God's revelation and trust in Christ as the Son of God. If the founding fathers held deist ideas while belonging to Christian churches it means they swore falsely in the presence of God.    While no one can vouch absolutely for the salvation of any one, the above is pretty strong evidence as to where they were coming from. But too, it is important to realize that Christian principles had an effect on the culture and the society even though an individual may not have trusted Christ as Savior. More than likely the vast majority of these men were born again.    Please pass this on to your children, and if you are a pastor, pass it on to your congregation. We should be thankful for this heritage! – Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

COUCH WAS RIGHT

For over four years Dr. Couch has been saying that we are moving into both the apostasy of the church, and the apostasy of the culture. "Apostasy" means the "falling away," in reference to the truth and the faith. A latest Pew Report just confirms this fact of the departure of the culture from anything even half way spiritual!    For example, now in this nation, many say they hold beliefs of the sort found in Buddhist temples or New Age bookstores. Almost a fourth of those who say they are Christians say they believe in reincarnation. A fourth say they attend services of other faiths, and a fourth believe in Eastern or New Age ideas, including Hinduism or Buddhism.    They also believe in yoga as a spiritual practice, giving spiritual energy to things like mountains and crystals, and astrology. Sixteen percent believe in the evil eye or the casting of curses or spells. Three in ten of black Protestants believe in some of the thoughts of Islam, or African beliefs. Half say they have had religious or mystical experiences whereby they received spiritual awakening or enlightenment. This phenomenon is growing in the Black communities and in the minorities who are pouring into this country, legally or illegally. They do not have as their heritage the Protestant, Reformation blessing that came through Europe and England and that was part of the founding of the nation.     Religion now is a mixture of beliefs whereby one can build their own religious belief system. Many evangelicals hold to such heresies even though their church may not believe the same things. The reason is what Dr. Couch has said: there is a departure of the teaching of doctrine. Most churches are now into feel good messages, emotionalism, heavy music, but away from sound, objective teaching of the Word of God from the pulpit. Dr. Couch has warned of this for years.    There will be no turning back. The men in the pulpit are no longer trained in systematic theology or the biblical languages. They do not know how to grasp the Scriptures doctrinally. They are conditioned to be "positive" and emotional. Television is their source of communication, and television is based on emotion and entertainment. We are moving deeper and deeper into the religious and cultural apostasy. We are shrinking in numbers as those who claim to be Christians, and, those who claim to be atheists are growing in number. The spiritual night is coming, and it is almost here!

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE WEST?

We refer to the culture that originated in Greece, spread to Rome, permeated Northern Europe, was incorporated by the Anglo-Saxon tradition, spread through British influence, and is associated today primarily with Europe-the United States, and the former commonwealth countries of Britain, and has touched even some Asian countries like Japan and South Korea.    In no way would we admire the paganism of the Greeks but we received through them, and the Romans, much culture that made the European heritage. This is why up until about seventy years ago, youngsters in public school, the upper levels, took Latin and Greek and Roman history. Now, we are repudiating this heritage and there are those, including our President, who want to destroy that heritage. We would have to say that it was used of God to create the highways on which Christianity moved. Again, this is not to admire such heritage in the wrong way, but we cannot escape the positive influence of  Western thinking. This reminder comes to us from Dr. Victor Hanson as written in Imprimis (November 2009). This is why during World War II, Winston Churchill continued to refer to the good things (but not exclusively) that came through "the English speaking people of the world" in opposing the sins of Germany during that struggle.    I am sure some will argue against what Dr. Hanson has written but if they do, they are ignorant of world history! But too, what is sad is that in the Western world, we have destroyed by massive immorality the blessings we inherited. And we are now touting the other cultures of the world that do not hold a candle to the blessings God used in Western civilization. – Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

VERSES THAT DESTROY AMILLENNIALISM

Hundreds of verses of Scripture do just that, but there are three passages that are determinative on the issue. They are Luke 22:28-30; Acts 1:10-11; Hebrews 9:28. (1) In Luke 22:28-30 Christ told the disciples that they would be eating and drinking with Him at His table "in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." How could the kingdom be the church? This does not make sense. Is this about the twelve tribes of Israel or does it somehow represent the church age? And, who are the disciples here if not the disciples who walked with Christ daily? If this passage is taken literally, how in the world could it represent the church? Using the desert island approach to interpretation in which no one is influencing your view of the passage, how would you take it except with common sense? And common sense will make it mean just what it says! It would be taken in a literal and normal way. It means just what it says. Amillennialism is out the window!    (2) In Acts 1:10-11 the angels told the disciples that when the Lord departed and ascended to heaven, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." In other words, in a literal, visible, normal way. He went up from them "as they gazed intently into the sky while He was departing" and He would come back to earth in the exact same manner back. This departing and coming cannot be spiritualized, allegorized, amillennial-ized! It must be taken as an actual going and returning, just as the premillennial orthodox Jews and evangelical premillennial/dispensationalists have said. One cannot fudge interpretation in such a passage.    Why do the amillennialists want to make this complicated? Because they want to get rid of the Jewish people and destroy the idea of a literal kingdom reign of Christ. There is no other answer that makes sense.    (3) In Hebrews 9:28 we have a phrase that is extremely close to saying "a second coming." The writer of Hebrews says "Christ also, having been offered once [at His first coming] to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time [the second coming] for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." "Shall appear" is the key. He lived on earth visibly and so He will come in like manner, visibly! The Jews reading Hebrews knew exactly what was being said here. They were to be LOOKING for Him to come in the same way He arrived the first time! "Shall appear" is a Future Passive Indicative of the common word "to see," horao. Thus, "He shall be seen."    In no way could these verses be talking about the church in some allegorical way. Christ's second coming will have all of the markers of a coming, an appearance, a visible arriving! – Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

LETTER FROM A READER

Dr. Couch, my relative got a copy of your new book "This Great Nation." He called me to say that he is reading it and says that the content and the presentation is the best he's ever read on the subject of America and American history. He went on to say that he has a masters degree in Church History and has taught the same subject as well. But he added that all of his teachers, or even books he's ever read on American history, never impacted him the way you bring it out and teach on it so clearly. I don't think I can ever put in words just how much I thank God for you and how Christ is working in you and through you--you have helped me so much! Thank you for helping so many of us grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My prayers are always for you. -- TB, Texas [RIGHT NOW for a limited time, the hardback book is free inside the USA, BUT please include $5 for shipping. Order it now!: Scofield Ministries, 120 CR 3222, Clifton, TX 76634]

A BEGGAR NATION

America is now a welfare nation with one out of every eight adults and one in four children on welfare. By the way, we can't call this welfare, we're supposed to call the food stamp giveaway and all the giveaway programs "nutritional aid" not welfare! Talking about being politically correct and re-writing reality—the redefining of words and definitions! Now let's be honest, there are always people who come about on hard times and need limited help to get through a certain period in their lives, but if the truth would be known, most of those receiving such aid are probably loafers and takers who simply fall back on the giveaway program because they are just plain lazy! And more than likely, most are minorities and illegal foreigners who are here simply because we have become a welfare state.    In most of our public schools, we give away free breakfasts and lunches to the children. Again, bleeding hearts will argue, "but what about the children?" It is the responsibility of the parents to sacrifice, even suffer, and take two jobs, in order to provide for their children. There is nothing in the government mandates for this nation that says the government is to provide free meals for its citizens. This takes the incentive away from the parents and makes us a beggar nation.    The apostle Paul speaks to this issue among Christians. He writes that the hard working believer should stay away from those who live undisciplined lives (2 Thess. 3:6) and who do not follow the work example of the disciples (v. 7). We are not to eat the bread of someone else "but with labor and hardship, Paul says, we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you" (v. 8). In other words, whatever it takes, we should work two or three jobs in order to survive if need be! "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat" (v. 10).    In Texas, the illegal, that is, the criminal foreigners are swamping our Emergency Rooms in our hospitals because they can get free care and do not have to pay for it. Most come in for medicine for their colds and other minor issues. Some say, "well isn't that charitable, especially for their children?" I say, if they cannot get such help let them go back to the country from which they came. No one is forcing them to stay in America! They need to do what our founding fathers did, they came to these shores and sacrificed and by hard work made a better nation. They expected no free government aid to bail them out of their problems!    Historically, America was only meant to give all an equal opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families. There is no built-in guarantee that all will have an equal outcome for their hard labor in life. But now, American socialism says all are to be given an equal ride whether they honestly earn it or not!    A few years ago in Texas, the illegal and criminal foreigners drove up in their big SUVs, with cell phones in their ears, to the various locations of the Salvation Army where they were giving out free Christmas toys for their children. The charitable organizations got smart. They made the freeloaders show their IRS tax reports (which most did not have) from the year before to demonstrate that they indeed were charity cases in order to get the free handouts. Can you imagine what that was teaching their children!    There is no return for America, no going back! The social apostasy (the falling away from the truth) is here and Christian morality and hard work will never again return to this nation! – Dr. Mal Couch (12-09)

THE SWISS GET IT RIGHT: BAN MINARETS

The small nation of Switzerland (the home of the Reformation) has it right—they have banned the explosion of minarets in that country of only seven million Swiss citizens. There are 400,000 Muslims in the country but they are attempting to take over the entire population, and possibly put the people under sharia Muslim law. A large number of the people (58%) voted to stop the building of minarets. The conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP) long warned of a creeping "Islamisation" of the nation, because of high immigration patterns and high birth rates among Muslims.    Christianity is about dead in that nation. The people long ago started into the prophesied apostasy, mainly because almost all the churches are liberal and thus repudiate the Scriptures. (John Calvin would roll over in his grave!) Some heretical Christians (if they are Christians) believe banning the minarets is a cowardly act but they just don't get it! The Europeans are losing their freedoms, their land, and all that was once dear to them. In fact, that is part of the problem. Christianity, Christ and the Bible, are no longer important. Spiritual issues to the nation now mean absolutely nothing!    Remember, whatever happens in Europe will happen in America. We are going in the same direction as the nations of Europe—toward an evil spiritual apostasy because the Word of God no longer means anything!    The apostle Paul warned us of our day: "For the time will come when [men] will not endure sound (healthy) doctrine (teaching); but wanting to have their ears ticked (wanting to be amused, entertained), they will accumulate to themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths (lies). But you stay awake in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your [spiritual] work" (2 Tim. 4:3-5).  – Dr. Mal Couch (12-09)

CHRIST’S THREEFOLD OFFICE

The Word of God is very clear about the two-fold offices of Christ: Prophet and Priest. Jesus as a Prophet spoke the Word of God, but He was also the sacrificial Lamb of God, who as a Priest, gave His own body as a substitutional offering for sinful humanity.    It is in the area of His role of King that the Reformed people get it all confused! With their allegorical and amillennial theology they really gum up the works in regard to His position as King.    The Reformed writers take Psalm 103:19 as a messianic passage about Christ ruling in the heavenlies. This helps them claim that His kingship presently is about His reign only in the heavens, and not about His literal, earthly reign (as the son of David) over Israel for 1,000 years in the future. But this passage is not about Christ but about God the Father and His rule over all the creation. The verse reads: "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all."    Unger rightly notes: "This divine rule refers to God's universal kingdom, including the entire creation, which is as eternal as God. ... This kingdom is distinguishable from the mediatorial Kingdom of Christ, which issues from it (cf. 7:9-14) and will finally be merged with it (1 Cor. 15:24)."    The Reformed guys then quote 2 Samuel 7:12-14 that indeed is about Christ's earthly kingship over the nation of Israel, but they allegorize it away and interpret it with an amillennial twist. The verses speak about Solomon, the son of David, establishing his kingly house (lineage), his throne (the right to rule over Israel on earth), and his kingdom (which is made up of a people [Israel] and a land). Quoting Acts 2:30-33, they say Jesus is reigning now, over us, by subduing "our unruly hearts (sanctification) as well as ruling [now] over all men and nations."    How can they so easily distort Acts 2:30-33, and also, Luke 1:30-33? In Luke, the angel Gabriel is speaking to Mary. He says she literally will have a son and call His name Jesus! Then (not allegorically) He will be given by the Lord God "the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end." Are our hearts called "the house of Jacob" over which He now rules? Is "the throne of David" somehow our heart? How hard does one have to allegorize in order to escape the normal, literal, and natural language found in these verses?    And how the Reformed guys use Acts 2:30-33 (which are about Christ's resurrection and ascension) to show He is establishing His throne and kingdom inside of believers, I can't figure out! They mention also Acts 3:18-21 which is about the literal earthly rule of Christ. The Reformed teachers in no way can "allegorize," "spiritualize," "figure-tize, "or "amillennial-ize" these verses in any form or fashion and have them make sense! When reading these verses we can use what I call "the desert island" interpretation method, that is, if I swim up on a desert island and read these verses in a KJV Bible with no Scofield Notes, and no one to influence me, how would I take them? I would take them in a normal fashion. They are speaking about Christ's earthly millennial rule over the house of David at some future point in history. Plain language with a plain and obvious meaning!    Acts 3:18 speaks of Christ suffering (on the cross). Did this happen literally or figuratively? Literally, of course! Then verse 19 speaks of Christ being sent by the heavenly Father, who "was appointed for you" (the Jewish people). Why would He be coming to the earth for the Jews? The only answer that any Jew would understand has to do with the messianic earthly Kingdom reign! In verse 21, what is the "period of restoration (restoring) that was spoken by the mouth of God's holy prophets from ancient times"? This "restoration" is the restoring of the Davidic Kingdom that the Jews were looking for. "Restoring" has the idea of starting up again. The Davidic kingdom only had two kings: David and Solomon. And then the nation was split by the Civil War. How could this have anything to do with the Gentiles, the Church, with the allegorizing of the Reformed teachers?    End of discussion! One cannot allegorize the kingship of Christ. His Kingdom will be a literal rule, from Jerusalem, over the redeemed Jewish people, and it will cover the entire world!    -- Dr. Mal Couch (12-09)

REACHING MUSLIMS

Recently, an evangelist who reaches Muslims for Christ said "Muslims are our mission field, they are not our enemy." With all due respect, I do not fully agree with him. There is a "yes" and a "no" answer that he needs to address.    While we should reach them for Christ when given the opportunity, in light of that, we are commissioned to present to them the gospel. But when we are talking about the social nature and structure of America, this is another matter. With thousands pouring into America, who know nothing about our Christian foundation, we are in danger of losing the historical and social structure of the country. Every month that passes, the people in this nation know nothing about the founding fathers, the Christian roots, the European foundation of America. Thus, we will become simply another nation that has forfeited its great heritage.    To be quite frank, this loss has already begun to take place. Our people some fifty years ago threw away those great facts of history. And because of the evil in the hearts of our educators, we will never recover a knowledge of those beginnings. Our children and young people in our schools and colleges are being stonewalled as to the beginnings of America. So in one sense, we cannot blame the foreigners who are pouring in (including the law breakers crossing our borders).    We have forfeited and thrown to the wind our heritage, and thus, it is not the fault of the Muslims. Yet, I keep asking, if they dislike our nation so much, why don't they go back home? But be prepared for this nation to be another country in just a few years; it will never again be the same! Remember, our freedoms are based on the foundations of the Bible. They do not have the Word of God as their belief system. They will carry us back to the dark ages! This is a judgment of God. Our country is becoming more and more heathenistic and immoral. And that is our fault! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

MR. PRESIDENT, PLEASE LEAVE!

Did you read what our President, Barack Hussein Obama, said to a group of homosexuals at their supposed Human Rights Campaign on October 13? No President has ever voiced these immoral thoughts before publicly! He told the cheering crowd: "I am with you on the homosexual agenda." Further:    "My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians—whether in the office or on the battlefield," he told 3000 people. "You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women." He added, "There can be people who hold fast to outworn arguments and old attitudes; who fail to see your families [homosexuals] like their families; who would deny you the rights most Americans take for granted."           Please, Mr. President, do not run again. Go away and retire somewhere! Leave us alone. You have uttered thoughts that no President of the past has ever uttered. Do not continue to spoil this great nation, leading us down such a blatant immoral path. One term is enough, in fact, it has been too much. Let us vote in a new man, a strong moral leader who knows right from wrong, and who believes in all that the Bible says. We have had enough! (Nov., 09)

GOD HAS ALREADY TOLD US, SO WHY ARE WE SURPRISED?

There will always be evil in high places, especially when the culture collapses. We should expect it! America has departed from the Word of God, and from the Lord Himself. "When the righteous triumph, there is great glory. But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves" (Prov. 28:12). "When the wicked perish, the righteous increase" (v. 28). And, "The ruler gives stability to the land by justice, but a man who takes bribes overthrows it" (29:4). Finally, "When the wicked increase, transgression increases; but the righteous will see their fall" (v. 16).    Remember, "Foresight is better than hindsight, but insight is Best!" – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

CHRISTIANITY IS GONE!

"Christmas" has been deleted from Social Studies textbooks in the State of Texas. In its place for the sixth-grade reader is the honoring of books about Hinduism. The kids are told about Diwali, a Hindu festival. Jonathan Saenz, a lobbyist for the conservative Free Market Foundation calls this "outrageous." It is a conscious effort to remove Christianity from our culture, misleading students about current society.    The textbooks place Christianity alongside of all religions. While that may seem commendable, it downplays the role of Christianity in the founding of this nation. More and more in our society claim to be atheists or agnostics, and not "religious" at all. We are moving into a dark world that will bring upon our children and grandchildren an unparalleled time of open sin! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 10)

TEXAS FALLING APART!

There is a turmoil going on at the campus of The University of North Texas in Dallas. The student body is voting on whether to allow homosexuals to be both the King and Queen at the Home Coming games. This is not the Texas I was raised up in! The administration is chicken liver and has no power to say "no" to such an abominable situation. The adults are no longer in charge of the school.    This reminds me of what either did happen, or would happen, during the tribulation in Israel as recorded in Isaiah 3.    God said "I will make mere lads (teens) the princes of the nation, and capricious children will rule over them" (v. 4). The people will cave in to sin: "And the people will be oppressed, each one by another and each one by his neighbor; the youth will storm against the elder, and the inferior against the honorable" (v. 5). They will have a smirk on their faces: "The expression of their faces bears witness against them. And they display their sin like Sodom; they do not even conceive it [or understand what they are doing]. Woe to them!" (v. 9).    And, "O My people! Their oppressors are children, and WOMEN WILL RULE OVER THEM. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray, and confuse the direction of your paths" (v. 12). Thus, "The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders and princes (rulers) of the people" (v. 14). Unger says this is prophetic about Israel's future, and, it certainly forecasts probably what will happen too in the Gentile nations:    "This shows that Israel's sins and chastisement, here outlined prophetically, prefigure her sins that will bring on her Tribulation trials and testings in 'the time of Jacob's trouble,'" the seven year period of the Wrath of God! This is "identically described (2:6-22), preceding Kingdom blessing."    This reminds me of this saying:    We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.    We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it more pluralism.    We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.    We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.    We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.    We have killed our unborn and called it choice.    We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.    We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.    We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.  – Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

A Testimonial Regarding Dispensationalism

Dr. Couch, below is a testimonial of what I went through with Preterism. [Some of what this man wrote, we have condensed for shortening his message.] Thank you for your kind response to what I wrote last. I am fully convinced that Dispensationalism is the truth of Scripture, however, in the past I believed otherwise. I would attribute my acceptance of Preterism to one main factor: My ignorance of the prophetic Scriptures.    I did not have a very good handle on biblical truth at the time (which was between 2005-2006), and so was easily led away by false doctrine. It all started when I began studying the books about covenant theologians who continually spiritualized the Word of God. I read several books on Preterism that greatly influenced me. In my readings I moved farther and farther into Preterism until I began accepting their views as a valid theology. At best, I became a partial Preterist.    I read books by men who said Christ's second coming took place in AD 70, but that His coming was still going on today. As I understand, the Preterist field is in confusion today, with some infighting between full and partial Preterists. I seriously doubt whether many of them are sure of what they believe.    That said, I appreciate the effort you have put into combating this doctrine. I remained a Preterist for about a year and a half and then saw the light! I have your book "Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics" and enjoyed it quite a bit. One of the chapters led me to acquire Dr. Paul Tan's "The Interpretation of Prophecy." This is one of the greatest books I've ever read! I also have "The Endtimes Controversy." I look forward to more resources! Blessings on your work, Brian S.

WE’VE BEEN LIED TO!

We are continually told that women are not mandated to be combat troops in the military. But the government is lying to us. Women are now put on combat ships. The problems this generates, according to sailors I talk with, is incredible! They say that there is to be no hanky panky on ships but the military then turns around and passes out birth control items. And when the little girls get pregnant on the ship they are put ashore and allowed to have abortions.    Watching Veterans Day on TV, I was further shocked. They showed a parade of little girls who were part of a High School Junior ROTC unit. With about 30 kids marching, there were only about four boys in the unit—the rest were High School girls. And, they were all carrying rifles! If they are not being trained for combat, or allowed to go into combat, why would the girls in the ROTC unit be carrying rifles? The answer is clear: they are preparing them to be allowed to take frontline combat roles.    The feminine Nazis in the military are now pushing for women to be allowed to be aboard submarines. There is not one man in the Navy who would be for that! Talking to men in the Army, I asked, "What do they do with the little girls being allowed to work in the motor pool with heavy trucks and trying to lift heavy truck tires?" The answer: "They put them on jobs that they can handle and let the men do the heavy lifting!" In other words, the men are discriminated against. The women receive the same pay but are not required to do the same work!    The military will tell you the physical requirements for women are the same as for men. Another lie! The women run the mile as the men do, but they are allowed to run it slower than the men—this they do not tell you!    Dr. Lacy Couch finally has it right! I've asked her for years why women want to be with the guys in the office and in the military. She thinks she finally has it figured out. The women want the same AUTHORITY as the men, or even over the men! It's an Adam and Eve thing. The apostle Paul addresses this in 1 Timothy 3:12. "I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."    What happened to the Home Making Courses for girls in High School? Girls were taught to be mothers and wives, and they learned what really being a woman was all about.    Paul says: "Women are to adorn themselves in proper clothing, modestly and discreetly ... rather by means of good works, as being women making a claim to godliness" (1 Tim. 2:9-on). Peter says: "Observing your chaste and respected behavior ... And let not your adornment be merely external ... but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God" (1 Pet. 3:1-6). "Being submissive to your own husbands" (v. 5).    Paul further adds, that the young woman must learn to love their own husbands ... to be sensible, ... workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands" (Titus 2:3-5). Women are being emotionally led astray as Paul suspected they could be because they can be fooled by the culture.    It is all over in America. We are into the apostasy, and there is no way back! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

THEY’RE TEARING UP MY COUNTRY!

I was motoring around SAM'S in that little electric buggy the other day and stopped at the DVD section on documentaries on World War II. An old guy walked up whom I knew had to be a veteran. "Did you fight in the big War?" I asked. "Yes," he answered. "I fought at Okinawa and was almost killed by the Japanese. A hand grenade exploded in front of my face and blew part of my jaw off. That was the end of the war for me." He went on: "I saw some terrible things in frontline combat."    He asked, "Were you in the war?" No, I said, I am just over seventy years of age. "Oh, well I'm 82." he answered. "Fifteen thousand or more of my buddies died on that island, but we had to have it in order to fire bomb Japan in order to end the war."    As we parted, tears came into his eyes. I said, "What terrible things are happening to our nation!" Looking back, he replied, "Yes, and now they're really tearing up my country!"    From east coast to west coast, with those who are older and mature, so many are realizing that this is not the same nation. We are sinking into the abyss. And, we will never turn it back around. The minorities, and the criminal illegals, who have no respect for our laws, and who have sneaked across our borders, along with many in the younger generation, just don't get it! They're socialists and free loaders, and they're now really tearing up our nation! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

WE MUST BE STUPID!

When the Major killed so many at Ft. Hood, the press, and the military, came out and told us we should not make this a "religious" issue. But then, as they continue to check the Major out, they find that this is exactly what it was! How come we the people are so dumb, and the military is so smart, but keeps getting it wrong. I heard one person on a talk show say, "We're all getting tired of the 'politically correct' thing in America." We cannot use common sense. We're told what to think. But what if I want to be 'politically un-correct'? That's my business and no one else's. As a Christian, and an American, I should be able to think the way I please and it's the business of no one else! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

WHILE YOU WERE ASLEEP ...

The Barack Hussein Obama group joined a U.N. effort, along with many Arab nations, in putting into place a restriction against religious speech. Another freedom was just taken away from you while you slept!    This resolution, pushed by the Arabs, means you have to be careful of anything you say against Islam, or you could be arrested! The resolution was passed unanimously by European countries and the so-called developing countries, which means mainly Arab nations. If you point out what Islam teaches this could be considered hate speech or blaspheming their doctrines. The good thing about this resolution is that it may be almost impossible to enforce. But Obama probably went along with it to make the Arabs think that he is on their side. This is supposed to push forward pluralism in America and around the world. But that is not how America was founded. We were meant by the founding fathers to have total freedom of speech no matter what the response from others.    This "law" is being enforced in other nations around the world. In Canada, the human rights commission punished a pastor for speaking out against gays. In Italy, a comedian was under investigation for making jokes about the Pope. In Poland, a Catholic magazine was fined $11,000 for criticizing abortion as being similar to the death chambers of Auschwitz. The Obama administration is joining the world in removing free speech and in crafting a new faith-based speech standard. This is only the beginning. More than likely this law will be given more teeth in order to come against those who hold to the morals of the Bible.    We are moving deeper and deeper into the prophesied time known as the apostasy. There is no turning back. – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

THE WORLDWIDE SCOPE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Only the blind would say the book was about local issues. The book was written after 70 AD and it is worldwide in its scope. Those who oppose this clear fact have not read the book.    The book assumes an exploding mushrooming population, interlinking economy, jet age transportation, and satellite communication. Also, there are so many statements that are universal in nature. For example, a fourth of the world's population is destroyed (6:8), avenging those who dwell on the earth (v. 10); the asteroids [stars, asteros] falling on the earth (v. 12); a third of mankind killed (9:18); the "rest" of mankind did not repent (v. 21); many peoples, nations, tongues (10:11); those of all peoples, tribes, tongues, nations will look on the dead bodies of the two martyrs and prophets (11:9) [satellite television]; "those who dwell on the earth will rejoice ... and they will send gifts to one another, because these two [godly] prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth" (v. 10). The old great scholar Lange writes: "Revelation, in accordance with its ... world-historical character, takes in the entire breadth of the world ..."    How silly to say all of this is simply local! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

NOT A RELIGIOUS ISSUE?

When asked if the shooting at Fort Hood was a "religious" issue, officials and the press all yelled, No! This was not a religious issue!    But they lied loud and clear! The day of the shooting the major who did all the firing was passing out copies of the Koran, and, as he was firing his weapon, he was calling out the Muslim cry, "God is Great! God is Great!" We were lied to again in order to keep things politically correct! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov. 09)

WE ARE NOT A DEMOCRACY!

In America we call ourselves a democracy but technically, we are not! We are a republic. What is the difference? A republic elects "wise men" who then are supposed to go to congress and use their wisdom to do what is right in government decision making. A democracy is often "mob rule." And if the mob goes bonkers, they start calling for bad decisions.    "Some will respond that big government is what the majority of voters want, and that in a democracy, the majority rules. But America's Founders didn't found a democracy, they founded a republic. The authors of the Federalist Papers, arguing for ratification of the Constitution, showed how pure democracy has led historically to tyranny. Instead, they set up a limited government, with checks and balances, to help ensure that the reason of the people, rather than selfish passions of a majority, would hold sway" (IMPRIMIS, Sept. 2009, by Dr. Walter Williams).    "Unaware of the distinction between a democracy and a republic, many today believe that a majority consensus establishes morality. Nothing could be further from the truth."    Most do not realize it but when we vote for a president and vice-president, we are actually voting for members of the Electoral College, who then select these men for office. There was one case in history when they voted for the president that the majority did not vote for. But usually, they vote for the men that their district voted for by a majority.    Now why did the founding fathers NOT want the decision for a president left in the hands of a majority? Because they did not trust the whims of the majority! The majority can be fickle! Wise men, and Godly men, are to lead the country, not simply those selected by a mob, the majority.    The problem today is that (1) the mob is ignorant and unwise, (2) and those they vote for are equally immoral and dumb! As well, those we send to Congress are misleading the people, and are unwise, selfish, and ungodly. Therefore, the republic is failing! The Constitution is to be the guide of the nation but it is being ignored. It is no longer taught in our universities and in our law schools. Therefore, tyranny is replacing the rule of the Constitution. Barack Hussein Obama had the audacity to say that "what the Constitution did not mention, could be put into place, and guide the nation." In other words, what it did not say, could be the rule. Thus, rules and laws could be made that are not enacted by the Congress, and the president could act unilaterally and do what he wanted without the direction of the Constitution or of the Congress! This means dictatorship and tyranny!    One example of the destruction that is going on in our nation: Barack Hussein Obama says that, yes indeed, criminal foreigners (those who illegally sneak into our country) should not receive health care, therefore, they must be made citizens, THEN they can receive FREE health benefits!    The majority in Congress who are democrats are going along with the president because the minorities who are getting all the free stuff, will vote democratic and keep the communist socialization of our nation going!    The minorities and those under thirty years of age, are not paying attention. The apostasy is here, and there is no turning this ship around! Since every decision made in life is theological, what is now taking place has spiritual implications. Our country is being destroyed spiritually and not simply socially!  We are going to be judged for our homosexuality, abortions, and teaching of evolution to our children! – Dr. Mal Couch

ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT

As of this writing, there are forces in Europe now working on a plan for a One World Government. If the U.S. joins, as we understand it, we could not withdraw from its organization. They are buttering up President Barack Hussein Obama to bring America into the plan.    Dispensationalists and premillennialists have been right all along. Such a plot is part of the satanic strategy as described in Scripture.    A committee in Congress is doing research on discrimination to make sure that homosexuals are not left out of social issues in the public arena. This is going to further the agenda for such folks, and we cannot stop it. This is why a judgment from God is certain. Our nation morally is moving so quickly away from biblical morality we cannot keep up with it! –Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

THE COLLAPSE OF AMERICA!

What is happening to us today in America is right on schedule. We are all praying now for God to bail us out, but why should He? Nothing is happening by accident, and, He owes us nothing! Our sins are now coming up before us to roost. We are being judged as one of the many sinful nations of the world. "With great blessing comes great responsibility." But we have forfeited our heritage! Each month thousands of little babies are being butchered by abortionists. Drugs are taking us down into the pit! Without repentance there is no turning back our nation.    Speaking to many officials who work with the illegal and criminal foreigners who illegally sneak into our nation monthly, they tell me there is no hope. Some have been working with interviewing these criminals for years now, and they are quite pessimistic about the future of our great nation. Our Congress and government officials "just don't get it!" After talking with government officials in Washington and with State senators, they tell me they have no confidence that such officials "will ever see the light." Neither are such officials out to protect our Judeo-Christian heritage.    Many do not realize it but the liberal National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is in the dark as to what is happening. That organization supports giving a free ride to the foreign criminals who come to the U.S. illegally. They falsely argue we should support "comprehensive immigration reform" to welcome with open arms such evil people.    The NAE is completely ignorant to the fact that a large portion of the criminals who sneak over our borders are outright hostile to Judeo-Christian ideals, nor do they know (or care about) how our nation was founded. They are simply focusing on getting their own kind here for a free ride, for free health care, and for making money. Does the NAE see that if America collapses, world evangelism efforts will be severely damaged?    There is no mandate in the Scriptures for such support. That is not part of our salvation responsibility. We have an obligation to protect our homes, family and children. The officials working with the foreign illegals are telling me that we are committing national suicide. And they should know! They work daily with these people and realize what danger we are facing.    In early 2010, the Senate and House immigration bills will be introduced. They will open the flood gates to allow these criminals to come in for the free ride.    Biblical principles, proverbial wisdom, and common sense are all being thrown out the window. We are now living in a fantasy world where there is no more rationality governing our decisions. As many who now work with those coming here illegally believe, we are facing tremendous danger as a nation. But no one is listening to them!    For a limited time, we will send you FREE the new book America, the Nations, and Israel and also, This Great Nation that describes what we have lost as a nation, that no other people on earth were blessed with. Send an Email to drcouch@scofieldprophecystudies.org and include your name and address. – Dr. Mal Couch (11-09)

WAR ON OUR STREETS!

Our government is reporting that we soon may have war on our streets from the many Muslims pouring into America. The city of Detroit is becoming a center for such militancy. The mosques are becoming headquarters for jihad training. How come we knew this was coming before our government did? Or, before it became public? Because Christians who know their Bible realize the nature of evil, and too, they know prophecy and understand the nature of how things will be going in terms of the hatred against Israel and against all who support her.    Be prepared to protect your family. Things may collapse before we know it! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

JUDGMENT ON THE U.S. IS COMING!

On a Barack Hussein Obama website used for his political propaganda, Organizing For America, Richard Folk has written: "Comparing the present-day Israel with Nazi Germany we discover that the majority of the Israeli policies are exact copies of the Nazi policies."    That statement is ludicrous! In fact, it is far more, it is an outright propaganda lie that is set on fire from the pit. By my bedside I have three books I am reading on WW II, and nightly I am reviewing five DVDs on the history of Germany during the 1930s. I understand well the sins of that nation and what they did to the Jews, and it does not come close to what is now happening in the Holy Land.    We are indeed rapidly moving into the cultural and spiritual apostasy.     Having spent a total of about one year in Israel all together with twenty-three trips, I concur that this is a straight-on lie! In every situation I observed, the Jews treated the Arabs well, in fact, more than well! Further, they took abuse from the Arabs far more than we would tolerate here in America. If you want the facts as to where we are today, you need the book I edited with many, many outstanding scholars. The book now being reprinted is entitled The Gathering Storm.    Talking to a school teacher recently, I found that the vast majority of the minorities do not get it! They do not know, nor do they care about what is happening politically and socially in this country, and, they want the free giveaways the present administration will be handing out. They bring their cultural thinking from the countries of their origin, and to be sure, these nations do not have the same spiritual background that American Europeans have. They do not understand our Thanksgiving celebration that was inaugurated by our Anglo-Saxon, European, Reformation, English speaking ancestors. Thus, they have no idea what America is all about, except now it is one great big nation that is into the "giveaway"! The judgment from God is certain to fall on this unthankful people! – Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

ARE TONGUES STILL AROUND TODAY?

This questions keeps coming around over and over again. Since tongues was (1) a spiritual gift, and (2) since it would be a part of early church history, we must look at both sources for the answer.

Was tongues a gibberish or an actual language? This is easy to answer. First, the Greek word glossa was a clearly understood idiom for describing a spoken and known language. Thus when the doctrine of linguistics first appeared in Acts 2 we find it describing spoken languages and identifiable dialects. It was defined as a miracle gift also: "... because they were each one hearing them (the disciples) speak in his own language. And they were amazed and marveled, saying, 'Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?'" (vv. 6-7). And the people hearing the miracle added: "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?" (v. 8).

While most charismatics agree that Acts 2 was a miracle and was the speaking in a known language, they say what was happening in 1 Corinthians 12-14 was (1) an angelic utterance, (2) or an esthetic gibberish. The question: why would Acts 2 be considered a language but 1 Corinthians 12-14 would be some form of a mystical utterance or angelic vocabulary? Charismatics do this because that's what they want to do! There is no evidence that there would be a change in meaning and substance but instead, just the opposite. What was in Acts 2 would be the same in 1 Corinthians 12-14!

In Acts 2:4 there is a little idiomatic expression translated "other tongues." In Greek this is heteros glossa. This phrase is used almost identically in 1 Corinthians 12:10. There it is hetero gene glosson or, "other families of tongues (languages)." What happened in Acts 2:4 was the same thing happening in 1 Corinthians 12:10.

The miracle of linguistics will cease! The church at Corinth was apparently boasting about the gifts they possessed. Though these gifts were imparted by the Holy Spirit, still carnality set in. The believers forgot the fact that whatever they did for the Lord, it had to be driven by the principle of love. This is Paul's big point in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
Interestingly, Paul tells his readers the three communication gifts would someday cease. These are prophecy, languages, and knowledge. The canon of Scripture had not been completed and so there were some believers who were given special dispensations of understanding spiritual truth in order to clarify doctrine in the growing church. Apparently when the canon of the New Testament was finalized with the book of Revelation, as authored by John the apostle, such helpful gifts would stop.

The gift of prophecy was not the revealing of future things but the gift of what I would call a super teacher! Those who had this gift were used of God to edify, exhort the congregation about spiritual matters (1 Cor. 14:31). Future prophecy was not a part of this gift. If they had the gift of future prophecy, what they said would be absolute about some specific future event(s). But instead, what these men taught, through this gift of prophecy, was not absolute in nature. Their carnality could get in the way. That is why when they spoke, what they said had to pass judgment and be confirmed by two or three other prophets (v. 29). What was coming forth from their spirits had to be checked and balanced, that is, it was subject to approval by the other prophets (v. 32).

The gift of knowledge (13:8) was the imparting of special understanding about spiritual truth. The church dispensation was something brand new. There was a learning curve in place whereby the believers were receiving new information that had to be processed, assimilated, and then carried out in living. This special gift too would pass, be done away with, when the canon of Scripture, the final authority for the New Testament church, would be completed and put into place.

How do we know for certain the above gifts, plus tongues (linguistics) would someday cease? This is exactly what Paul writes in 13:8-13. How do we know such gifts have ceased? By looking what took place in the early church. Do we have testimonies and confirmations that they disappeared in the church? Yes we do!

But first let's exegete 13:8-9.

First Paul writes that "love never fails" (v. 8). "Fails" is pimpo used as a Present Active Indicative. "Love is never in the ongoing process of falling." It is not going away! But the Greek says, "Gifts of prophecy will be in the future made inoperative (set aside, katargeo)." Thayer says of this word, it will it will become inactive, done away with, made of none effect, abolished, annulled.

Of linguistics (tongues) Paul writes, "They will in the future stop (pauo) themselves." Paul uses pauo in the Future Middle Indicative Greek form. Thayer translates this word, to cease, to desist, to be restrained, to be left off. "They will in the future self-destruct themselves!"

The rest of the verses. The verses that follow (13:9-13) seem to verify that these gifts would stop and that there was something better to come. Paul writes, "When the perfect (teleion, the complete, mature) comes, the partial will be done away." Done away is that Greek word katargeo. Many of us believe the "perfect" or the complete, has to do with the completion of the canon of revelation. There seems to be no better explanation given. Maybe even Paul did not fully comprehend what this completion entails.
But on these verses, what do the old grammatical Greek scholars hold who had no ax to grind concerning charismatic issues? Let's take a look:

1. T. Robertson writes about verse 8: "They shall be made idle, inoperative. ... All these special gifts will pass. ... To be made to cease. ... They shall make themselves cease or automatically cease of themselves."
2. The great Greek scholar W. Robertson Nicoll says: "These gifts will cease, drop out of existence. These special gifts were bestowed on the way and served the wayfaring church, they cease each of them at a determined point. ...They will be done away by a completer realization of the objects they seek. ... They will stop. ... A temporary significance, they will lapse and terminate."
3. C. K. Barrett writes: "Prophecies, tongues (linguistics), and knowledge were all at best partial revelations of God. They had their place, yet they were limited and temporary."

Church history. It is appropriate to appeal to church history and the church fathers who spoke on this issue. The most reputable said that tongues was a bona fide language but that in time it had ceased. I had a charismatic friend who said, because the church fathers had some strange doctrines, what they said about tongues was invalid. But my friend was wrong. The fathers were giving evidence of what was happening historically in their day among the churches. This is not an opinion. It was an observation of events taking place at that time. Let's look at some of their statements:

Irenaeus (120-202).
"We do also hear many brethren in the church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages (not gibberish), and bring light for the general benefit, the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God."
Note that Irenaeus spoke of the gift of legitimate languages not some kind of strange mystical babbling.

Montanus (126-180).
Speaking of one church leader Montanus said, "He became beside himself, gave the adversary (Satan) opportunity against him. He being suddenly in a sort of frenzy and ecstasy, he raved, and began to babble and utter strange things, prophesying n a manner contrary to the constant custom of the church handed down by tradition from the beginning. Some of those who heard his spurious utterances at that time were indignant, and they rebuked him as one that was possessed. ... He stirred up besides two women, and filled them with the false spirit, so that they talked wildly and unreasonable and strangely, like the person already mentioned."

What else could one add to this! It sounds just like many charismatic meetings held today!
Chrysostom (345-407).

While Chrysostom lived some 300 years after the apostolic period, he makes an interesting comment on 1 Corinthians 12:1-2. He wrote, "This whole passage is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer take place." It is clear that by this time the gift of linguistics had disappeared from the church.
Augustine (354-430).

In the apostolic period, Augustine says, "The Holy Spirit fell upon them that believe and they spoke with tongues, which they had not learned, as the Spirit gave them utterance. These were signs adapted to the time. For there was this betokening of the Holy Spirit in all tongues (languages) to show that the gospel of God was to run through all [languages] over the whole earth. That thing was done for a sign, and it passed away."

Only the stubborn and the argumentative would deny the obvious historical evidence. In fact, I have heard, as others also have heard, charismatics say, "But I don't care what the Scriptures [or church history] says, I know what I have experienced." Experience then becomes the arbitrator of what is true, and not the Bible!

But we do not fly our airplane by what we emotionally feel or experience; we fly the plane by the instruments and by objective fact! Among most charismatics this is not being done today!

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE NATIONS TODAY?

God is! What the OT says about His sovereignty has not changed. The nations are in His hands and He is moving them through the corridors of history. The presidents and rulers today are doing exactly what He wants. They are not operating independently and by themselves.    Jeremiah 27 makes all of this very clear. God says He has made the earth and gives it to the ones who please Him (v. 5). He especially has given it to Nebuchadnezzar—He has given him the wild animals to serve him (v. 6). He said he would punish that nation with the sword and famine, and with pestilence "until I have destroyed it by his hand" (v. 8).    The Lord added in Lamentations that He "has done what He purposed; He has commanded from days of old, He has thrown down [the nations] without sparing" (2:17). Further, "He causes grief, then He will have compassion" (3:32), and "Who is there who speaks and it come to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? It is from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth" (vv. 37-38).    God is now bringing judgment upon the world. He is in charge, and He knows what He is doing with America and all the nations!    --Dr. Mal Couch (Nov., 09)

The Impeccability Of Christ

A few years back the film industry came out with a lot of productions showing the "humanness" of Christ, ignoring any pretense or hint to the fact of His deity as the Son of God. This would be expected of the lost world, but such tripe has a continuing negative effect on the natural man. Of course Satan loves it! He loves to picture Jesus as simply a "natural" man rather than "very God"!

Below is a short treatment on the fact of the Lord's impeccability, with translation work done on the major passages of Scripture. One important point: if Christ is not absolutely holy and completely without sin, the Bible surely would have hinted that He was only "partially" righteous, or simply "sometimes" lived righteous. Instead, the Bible by both positive statements and by silence as to Christ's potential "sinfulness," pictures Him instead as sinless in the absolute sense!

Definition of the word Impeccability
Webster's Dictionary says impeccable is a word that comes from the Latin: impeccabilis. The word means "not liable to sin, incapable of sin."

Theological Definition of Impeccability
Impeccability is a theological term and not a biblical word. But it is meant to convey a true theological concept, i.e. Christ was unable to sin, though evil could be placed before Him in the form of a normal temptation, but by His very nature, He could not and would not succumb to it. Christ could have certain physical limitations of weariness (John 4:6), hunger (Matt. 4:2; 21:18), thirst (John 19:28), tiredness (Matt. 8:24). "But at every stage of His life, infancy, boyhood, adolescence, manhood, He was holy and sinless." (Ryrie, Basic Theology, p. 303)


Testimony of those who observed Christ
Interestingly, those who were unbelievers or even to a degree enemies of Christ, admitted to His sinlessness. They could see nothing in His actions, mannerisms, attitudes, that would reflect evil or unrighteousness. Judas who betrayed Him told the elders and the chief priests, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood" (Matt. 27:4). Pilate's wife had a dream that conveyed to her the fact of Christ's righteousness. Because of the dream she said to her husband: "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him" (v. 19). Though pressured by the Jews to slay the Lord Jesus, Pilate had to admit to the Jewish leaders: "I am innocent of this Man's blood" (v. 24). Pilate caved into the Jewish leadership and had Christ crucified and yet he realized that He had done on wrong! The centurion seemed to realize this truth when he uttered at the close of Jesus' life: "Truly this was the Son of God!" (v. 54). One of the thieves who died with Christ appeared to understand something of the sinlessness of the Lord: He said to the cursing thief: "We are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:41).

While it could be argued that the testimonies mentioned above could, in context, simply be saying that Jesus was not a public evildoer, there seems to be more in what these witnesses are saying. If they had anything against Christ, it seems doubtful they could have uttered these words of His innocence without some kind of qualification about the imperfections of His life. The above may not be the strongest evidence for the Lord's impeccability, still it is evidence that can be considered in the overall discussion on the subject.

The Nature of the God/Man
Christ is the eternal Son of God, and yet He has two natures, the divine and the human, when He was born into the world of humanity. Jesus always spoke of Himself as One person, a single being, not two. He did not have a split personality. It must be that in conception the sin nature is passed down from the father and somehow not through the mother. While the Bible does not address this issue it would explain the "why" of the virgin birth. Christ's human nature came through Mary and His divine emplacement in her womb came through the Holy Spirit. Some may question this explanation of the virgin birth but this seems to be a logical conclusion.

Paul Enns rightly argues:

Christ's peccability could relate only to His human nature; His divine nature was impeccability. Although Christ had two natures, He was nonetheless one Person and could not divorce Himself of His deity. Wherever He went, the divine nature was present. If the two natures could be separated then it could be said that He could sin in His humanity, but because the human and divine natures cannot be separated from the Person of Christ, and since the divine nature cannot sin, it must be affirmed that Christ could not have sinned. (Enns, Moody Handbook of Theology, p. 237) 

Christ could be Tested but could not be Tempted as to fall
In order to testify and demonstrate the sinlessness of Christ, He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit in order to undergo a tempting (peirazo) by the devil (Matt. 4:1). This happening was not to see if Jesus would fall into sin and listen to the words of Satan. It was to prove to us that the Lord could not and would not succumb to the devil's tempting thoughts. Francis Schaeffer argued that Christ could be tempted to actually sin yet He did not. Looking at all the evidence this is not a biblical conclusion.
God will have the victory over sin because of the perfect holiness of the One who died for us. The victory is sure. "The same is true of the temptation of Christ. One may attack a battleship with a canoe. The outcome of the attack is already certain, even though the attack is real. Even though gold may be subjected to a test and will always pass the test, the test is still valid. Jesus was tested, and He passed the tests victoriously." (Mal Couch, gen. ed., Ed Hindson, Matthew, p. 40)

The Holy One of God
The resurrection of the Messiah is predicted in Psalm 16:10. "For You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay." This is repeated and applied to Christ in Acts 2:25-28, 31; 13:35-39. "Holy" (chaseth) is better translated as "devout, faithful." Peter quotes Psalm 16:10 and for the word we translate "holy," he uses the Greek word hosios. This word can be translated undefiled by sin, free from wickedness, pure, holy. The Lord is therefore sinless. The Jews hearing Peter speak did not contest this meaning though they had other reasons for denying Christ.

Peter adds that David, who wrote Psalm 16, "looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ. … This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:31-32). Putting these verses together one would get the sense that the Messiah is not simply One who from time to time does righteous deeds, but instead, He is One who is holy and righteous innately. This is His very nature. This is why He could go to the cross for sinners. He was not dying for His sins but for the sins of others.

The Holy Child ("Thing")
At His birth the Lord would be given a special designation by the gospel writer Luke. The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). This is a powerful verse that is more understandable when translated. The word "offspring" (some translations say "thing") is a Present, Passive, Participle, nominative, singular, neuter, from the Greek word gennao. By using the neuter gender, the point is the entire process of the birthing, the birthing process, now being performed in Mary's womb; it is a total holy happening! The Spirit is causing a holy birthing process that will activate conception and bring forth the Holy Son of God!

The passage is emphasizing the fact that the very work of the conception of the Christ child, the Son of God, is a holy work. He is Holy by His nature from the starting point of His earthly life.

The Spotless Lamb of God
The sacrificial lambs in the Old Testament all point to the coming of the true substitutionary Lamb of God for sin, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ! In the New Testament Christ is called "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29, 36). Peter puts it this way: We are saved "with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1 Pet. 1:19).

The sacrificial lambs were to be kept in a pen in order to test if they were blemished or sickly. This pictures of course the holiness, the sinlessness, of the Messiah who did not die for His sins, but for the sins of the world. That the sacrificial lamb was to be spotless is mentioned often in the Old Testament. For example: Exod. 29:1; Deut. 17:1; Ezek. 41:22; 43:23; 46:13; Heb. 9:14.

Righteousness comes through Christ who is the Righteous One
Paul points out that when we were helpless, because of sin, at just the right time Christ died for us, we who were the ungodly (Rom. 5:6). In contrast, Christ was the godly One! God loved us as sinners by sending Christ to die for us (v. 8). Because of Him "the gift of righteousness reigns through the One, Jesus Christ" (v. 17). He could not impart righteousness unless He Himself was, and is, righteous! By the obedience of Him, the One, "the many will be made righteous" (v. 19). If Christ was a sinner He would be dying for His own sins and not ours!

The Major Passages of Scripture
The New Testament continues this theme of the holiness of Christ. It points out the fact He was innately sinless, but also, that He practiced no sin in His life.

2 Corinthians 5:21. This verse tells us that God made Christ sin, He who knew no sin, on our behalf, "that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Our sins were placed on Him. Christ was not innately a sinner but the Father placed on Him our sins so that He could be a substitute, carrying our sins under the wrath of God. In exchange, we receive the righteousness of God through and because of Him, placed on our account. He takes our sins; He gives to us His righteousness! This transaction does not make Him a sinner. He simply became a sin bearer. Being One without sin, He could die for others. He was not dying for His sins!

Hebrews 4:15. Christ could sympathize and understand us as sinners because He was also tempted "in all things as we are, yet without sin." Christ could not sin because He was the Holy One of God! He never responded with sin. Sin was not part of His constitution! "Sin had nothing in Him; He was free and separate from it." (Alford's Greek Testament, p. 89)

Hebrews 7:26-27. Jesus was "a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens." He was not like the earthly high priests who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins as well as for the people. He did not die "first for His owns sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself." Verse 26 looks at the Lord's character, His nature-holy, innocent, and undefiled. He could not be lumped with the rest of mankind which was sinful. He was separated from them, though a part of them in His humanity but not with a sinful nature.

Hebrews 9:14. By the eternal Spirit of God, Christ offered up Himself, and His blood, as a sacrifice; He "offered Himself without blemish to God." Like the unblemished sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament offerings, Jesus was sinless and holy. As people examined His life they could find no flaw, from a sinful nature, and as well could not accuse Him of any sinful acts! This idea is repeated in 1 Peter 1:19. Christ offered Himself "with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."

1 John 3:5. The purpose of Christ's first coming was "in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin." This verse is not focusing on sinful acts but on the fact of the essence of sin, the sin principle that controls all human beings. Christ was part of the human race but the sin principle was not part of His character or nature. The Lord Jesus was sinless in every way and that is why He could substitute for sinful people under the wrath of God. God's judgment fell on Christ because He was carrying our sins. He was a substitute though innocent, just like the sinless and innocent sacrificial lambs in the Old Testament.

Conclusion
"Christ was manifested to take away all sins, being Himself sinless. He came in the flesh to take away by one act, and entirely, all sin. Sin is altogether alien from Christ. He became incarnate that He might blot it out. He has no stain of it on Himself. He took away our sins by bearing them Himself." (Alford, pp. 464-65) Christ's sinlessness is one of the key proofs of His deity. He is not an ordinary man; He is the God/man, holy and perfect, and therefore able to die in our stead under the wrath of God. When we belief in that redemptive sacrifice, and trust in Him, we are given His righteousness, and receive eternal, unending new life!

THIS IS ONE YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE!

The administration of Barack Hussein Obama has just appointed what he says is "Two devout Muslims" to the Department of Homeland Security! Would the government ever call a Jew or a Christian "devout"? What in the world is going on? And since the terror against America and Israel is coming from the theology of orthodox Islam, how could such an appointment be justified? Our government is in denial, denying that what is taking place is really religious and theological! This fact is being covered over and ignored. The larger question: How do we stop the madness now going on in Washington? – Dr. Mal Couch (10-09)

The Inspired Prophecy of The Book of Daniel

The Issue: The book of Daniel for centuries has been under fire by the liberal critics and even often by conservative scholars. Daniel, along with Genesis and Deuteronomy, are regularly attacked for various reasons. But specifically, Daniel is attacked because of the incredible and accurate 70 Weeks of Daniel prophecy in chapter 9, and the detailed predictions of chapter 11 that were prophesied to come upon Israel in the period between the Old and the New Testaments.

Chapter 9 gives a calendar, time-specific prophecy of the rejection of Christ in the Passion Week just before His arrest and crucifixion. The Bible critic cannot tolerate this specificity because it points clearly to the fact that Daniel is inspired by God (as is all of the books of the Bible). Chapter 11 is also under attack because of the minute details given about what will happen with the nations surrounding Israel hundreds of years before they take place. Again, the authority, inspiration, and inerrancy of Daniel are denied because to admit to these doctrines, the critic has to confess that God is indeed the Author of world history!
The internal evidence of Daniel puts the writing of the book by or before 536 BC. The critic, with intellectual dishonesty, wants to put the writing of the book around 167 BC. By doing this, he can argue that the book was written during the time of the events of chapter 11. Thus, the Holy Spirit who inspired the Word of God is removed from the equation of how the book came about. Daniel then becomes simply a "naturalistic" book penned by mere men, pieced together like a scrap book, without any divine guidance and supernatural authorship!

External Evidence. It is enough to say here that anyone who studies Daniel with fairness can see how what is written came to pass in history. Criticisms about the book and history have long ago vanished. And yet the critic holds out because he cannot admit to the truth that God is at work in the giving of spiritual revelation. The historicity of the book, and its imprint in secular history, can stand the scrutiny of the doubter.

Internal Evidence. This study will focus on all the internal evidence of the book that over and over makes the claim to inspiration. Daniel recorded what he saw in visions, dreams, etc. One must call him a liar and a fraud if there is doubt as to what he is writing down for his readers. In some ways, the internal evidence for inspiration and revelation is the strongest of any book of the Bible.

Here are some important points that must be considered:

God "encircles" Daniel in order to make him a "special prophet":
Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon in the first deportation of Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC. The history of Daniel and the captivity of Judah was all orchestrated by God in His mysterious providence. It was the Lord who gave king Jehoiakim into the hands of the Babylonian tyrant, and this included the carrying away of the vessels of the temple that would, to Israel’s shame, be placed in the house of his god in the land of Shinar (1:2).
In God’s sovereignty He had a plan for Daniel. He is not in Babylon by accident. The text reads: "Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight o the commander of the officials" in the king’s court (v. 9). Along with his three friends, "God gave them knowledge and intelligence in very branch of literature and wisdom" (v. 17a). But it was Daniel who would be given a special gift so that he would be the chosen author of the book that bears his name. The Lord gave Daniel special understanding in all kinds of visions and dreams" (v. 17b).

Daniel’s prayer for a miracle happens:
When Nebuchadnezzar was troubled in his sleep with his night dreams, Daniel was brought forward to give the interpretation. It would only be by the Lord’s special providence that he would be given the message. Daniel knew his God was working through him. He and his friends prayed and requested that "the God of heaven" would reveal the mystery dream that was so bothering the king. Daniel had in mind the fact that the lost pagan wise men of the realm would die if the dream was not explained (2:18). Daniel knew that only his God could "reveal the profound and hidden things because light dwells with Him" (v. 22), therefore he pleaded that the Lord would make known to him and his companions "the king’s matter" (v. 23).

Even the pagan leadership recognized Daniel’s prophetic gift:
Arioch, the king’s lieutenant, was moved by the Lord to recognize the prophetic gift of Daniel. Speaking to the king, Arioch tells him he has found a man "among the exiles" who can interpret the king’s visions (2:25). The king questions Daniel and the young man replied that only God can reveal His own mysteries and revelations, but that too, He will show the interpretation to him (vv. 25-29). In his testimony to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel makes it know that the revelation was given to him not because of any innate "wisdom residing in" him but simply to make known God’s work in history to this most powerful sovereign! (v. 30).

God’s thoughts will become Daniel’s thoughts which he will share with Nebuchadnezzar. And these revelations will be written down in the book of Daniel. This of course shows that the book is inspired. The messages God gives will be recorded and thus will become what we know as the Word of God!

The Revealer of mysteries uses Daniel:
God will make "known to king Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days" (2:28). And of course the instrument of this revelation will be Daniel! The dreams and visions were placed in the king’s mind (v. 28b) but then given to Daniel. Daniel, and then Nebuchadnezzar, would be given the final plans of history that will include what God will be doing with His people the Jews, and what He will be carrying out in judgments upon the pagan nations of the world. Daniel would be given both the dream and the interpretation of that dream to give knowledge to the king (v. 36).

The period of written revelation began with Job, then Moses, all the way down to the final book of Scripture, the book of Revelation. The Bible alone gives us the mind of the God of creation! Daniel is not speaking for himself; he is telling us in his book what the Lord has revealed. Nebuchadnezzar understood this and said, "Surely your God is a God of gods and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery" (v. 47).

Prophecy immediately fulfilled:
Because of his pride Nebuchadnezzar would be judged and turned out into the wilderness like an animal (4:25). This is a phenomenon technically in medical terms called zoanthropy. It was given to Daniel to make this prediction of how the king would be so humiliated. This judgment could have been avoided if the king had broken "away from your sins by doing righteousness, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor …" (v. 27). Instead of taking Daniel’s warning, Nebuchadnezzar bragged about "the might of [his] power and … the glory of [his] majesty" (v. 30).

With the boastful words of the king, Daniel’s prophecy came to pass instantly! There was no delay. "Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled" and he was driven out of his palace like an animal (v. 33).

The book of Daniel is an inspired book. And the words of this prophecy and the historic consequences are recorded for us to read centuries later.

Daniel can interpret the written inscription:
Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson was Belshazzar. He was a vicious and licentious king who wallowed in his sins in his court. He paid no attention to what happened previously to his grandfather. The Lord got his attention with the handwriting on the wall displayed during one of his orgies. The king was terrified! But his wife the queen remembered there was a man in Nebuchadnezzar’s court who had a spirit of the holy gods, who was given "illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods" (5:11). She added that this Jew had "an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems" (v. 12).

Daniel was given the interpretation of the inscription on the wall and then told the king the bad news: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN, which meant that God had numbered the days of his kingdom, the king was found deficient, and that this very night the kingdom would be taken over and divided by the Medes and the Persians (vv. 24-28).
Again, this extraordinary event happened before the eyes of hundreds, interpreted by Daniel, and came to pass that very night. It was recorded by Daniel in his book for us to study today!

Daniel writes down his dreams and visions from God:
Daniel recorded his dreams and visions, sometimes in detail and sometimes simply in summary form. This clearly then is written revelation, whether given in full detail or simply summarized. During the reign of Belshazzar the prophet wrote what God showed to him. He stated in the third person: "Daniel saw a dream and vision in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it" (7:1). Daniel did not write all the details but abbreviated the message for later generations to read and study.

What Daniel saw he wrote down. This was specifically stated in chapter 7 when he was given the vision of the coming reign and glorification of the "Son of Man" who entered the throne room of God at His ascension from earth. Daniel keeps saying, "I kept looking …" (vv. 6, 7, 9, 11 (2), 13, 21). He called this vision a revelation (v. 28). As he kept looking his mind was alarmed (v. 15), and he sought to know the exact meaning and "interpretation of these things" (vv. 16, 19).

Daniel generally could "see" the visions God gave him. He "gazed, saw, and observed" what the Lord set before him (8:1-8).

The angels spoke to Daniel with revelations:
Sometimes angelic beings spoke to him in dreams and sometimes they stood to him while he was awake. One angelic being was standing before him and spoke while Daniel was having his vision (7:15-16). He heard the voice of the angel (8:16), was approached by the angel (v. 17), given the messages about "the time of the end" (v. 17). More specifically the angel said: "Behold I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end" (v. 19). The visions he received often had to do with "many days in the future" (v. 26).

The angel Gabriel gave Daniel instructions and talked with him in order to give to him "insight with understanding" (9:22). Daniel was to "gain understanding of the vision" of the angel, and in this case, he was given the incredible revelation of what is called the Seventy Weeks prophecy (vv. 22-27). Daniel was to heed the message of this "prophecy" which would set the direction of world history for the end times (vv. 23-24). It would also reveal God’s final timetable judgments and restoration for the Jewish people.

The Lord "inspired" the prophecy of Jeremiah:
Daniel refers to the prophecy of the seer Jeremiah who predicted the seventy year captivity, i.e. the "completion of the desolation" (9:2). He "observed" this in the books, which refer to the sections of Jeremiah’s works that covered a long period of writing time (v. 2). Daniel calls the prophecy of Jeremiah "the word of the Lord to Jeremiah." The concepts of inspiration, authenticity, and revelation were clearly understood by Daniel and by the pious Jews of his day.

Having read Jeremiah’s seventy year captivity prophecy, Daniel became more curious and asks the Lord to reveal more. But before he does, he confesses the sins of Israel before God and claims His "compassion and forgiveness" (vv. 3-19).

The prophets of the past were inspired; they recorded God’s voice:
Daniel points out that God has had other servant prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name to "our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land" (9:6), but the nation did not listen. These prophets were inspired and went about speaking the revelation and warnings directly from God to the rebellious population. Daniel is putting his firm stamp on the doctrine of inspiration and revelation of the prophets of the Old Testament.
When the people did not listen to the prophets they were rebelling and being unfaithful toward the Lord. What the prophets gave them was direct revelation from Him. The people did not "walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets" (v. 10).

The Law of Moses inspired:
The people also did not listen to Moses. This was tantamount to "disobeying" God’s voice, thus, a curse was poured out upon the people. The Lord had made a judgment oath "which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him" (9:11). To sin against Him is to fail to keep the laws and words of Moses. God "confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers …" (v. 12). Notice, "words" plural! The Bible does not just contain "the big ideas" alone, it contains also the very words of the Lord.

The directives in the law of Moses are specific. For "it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us" because we did not give "attention to Thy truth" (v. 13). By not keeping the law of Moses "we have not obeyed His voice" (v. 14).
Conclusion: The writings of Moses are inspired. They are to be obeyed because they constitute His word. They are His truth. And to disobey the written word is "to bring calamity upon us" (v. 13).

Daniel recorded the instructions from God:
An angel from the Lord brought "instruction" from God and "talked with me" in order to give to Daniel "insight with understanding" (9:22). From this Daniel was "to know and discern" the Seventy Week prophecy (v. 25). This he recorded in his book which would become one of the most important prophecies of all of the Word of God!


True "messages" revealed:
In the third year of king Cyrus Daniel was given "a message" that was revealed to him (10:1). It came in the form of a vision that was to give him understanding. The angel (or possibly Christ Himself) was "seen" by Daniel (v. 5), in a vision (v. 7), but as well, he heard the words spoken to him "like the sound of a tumult" (v. 6). Daniel "heard the sound of his words" and then fell on his face (v. 9).

Daniel emphases the fact that the angel spoke "words" (plural) and this constituted a total "word" (singular) of divine information (vv. 11-15). The angel seems to continue his revelations in chapter 11. He says "And now I will tell you the truth …" (11:2). Specific historical revelations are then given about the In-Between-Period of the Testaments, from around 400 BC until the first century. Almost all commentaries believe verses 36-45 are about the Antichrist. The apostle Paul confirms this by quoting this section in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.

Daniel to seal up the revelation: 12:4, 9
Daniel is told: "Conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time" (12:4). This tells us that the book of Daniel was seen by the prophet as a whole, an entire revelation, and not as a patch work of prophecies just thrown together. It is an entire revelation and its full meaning was to be concealed until the end times. Daniel would then die and "go his way" (v. 9). It would seem if now, slowly in our day, the revelation of his book is starting to make more and more sense. Daniel should be taken seriously because after all, the book is the very Word of God!