There are two opposing kingdoms in the Cosmic Conflict. In the book of Revelation, God’s Kingdom is exemplified by the “violently slaughtered Lamb” while the image of Satan’s kingdom is a ferocious and devouring Dragon. In this lecture, Dorothee Cole will discuss the contrast between the two kingdoms and showed …
Cosmic Conflict in the Old Testament?
The Cosmic Conflict theme crescendoes throughout the Bible. While the Old Testament has only three direct references to Satan, the New Testament is rich with details about the Adversary. This Cosmic Conflict theme in the New Testament climaxes with the last book of the Bible which tells the story of …
Sabbath: Hour of Victory in the Cosmic Conflict
This lesson concludes our study of the Sabbath in the Gospel of John. There is more to this subject in John than many of us have thought and more than I thought when we began. I am delighted and almost in a state of shock over the perspective that has …
Sabbath and the Revealer, part 5
In this lecture, Sigve Tonstad continues his discussion of the Sabbath in the Gospel of John. Does the rest of God in the Torah and the work of Jesus in John expose a conflict in the very heart of the Sabbath? Could the rest of God in the Torah and …
Sabbath and the Revealer, part 4
We finished last time with a telling contrast. The Sabbath verb in Genesis is REST. The Sabbath verb in the Gospeol of John is WORK. Has the latter replaced the former almost to the point of jeopardizing the Sabbath? Are these verbs and their corresponding nouns in conflict, or are …
Sabbath and the Revealer, part 3
Our topic in the Sabbath series is the Sabbath healings in the Gospel of John, surely the most defining Sabbath texts in the Bible. These texts have been underexposed with respect to the meaning of the Sabbath. Without a doubt, they clarify and surprise.
Sabbath and the Revealer, part 2
The importance of placing the Sabbath healings in John in the context of the lifetime of Jesus rather than at some later point cannot be exaggerated. Given that all the Gospels report controversial Sabbath healings, it should not be difficult to make that call. Jesus knew that it would be …
Sabbath and the Revealer, part 1
The topic for the first Sabbath of 2012 will be the Sabbath in the Gospel of John. From the point of view of apologetics, John is a key text. If Jesus is abandoning the Sabbath, it cannot survive. If he does not abandon it, it will survive, and it will …
Sabbath: Divine Commandment or Commitment?
Is the Sabbath best described as divine commandment or as divine commitment? The difference matters. In the book, I have referred to the Sabbath as a reluctant commandment. Which of these options has dominated Sabbath theology, whether pro or con? Which sentiment is most true to the evidence in the …
God’s Two Arbitrary Commands?
God’s warning about the tree of knowledge of good and evil is frequently perceived as an arbitrary test of obedience. Would Adam and Eve obey God “because he said so” or would they disobey? What would you think of a parent who told his child not to eat the fruit …