Latest from Keith Mathison
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The Post-Exilic Prophets — The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
from Keith Mathison Apr 23, 2012 Category: Articles
The exile was a major turning point in the history of Israel. Judah and Jerusalem had fallen to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Many of the people of the land had been taken captive to Babylon, while others had fled to Egypt and parts unknown. A small number of the poor had remained behind in Judah. The ultimate curse of the covenant had been realized. After centuries of prophetic warnings, the death penalty had been carried out on Israel. The land was in ruins, and the people were in exile. In 539 B.C., however, Babylon fell to the Persians, and in 538, Cyrus issued a decree permitting the exiled Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the temple. Were the prophecies of restoration now to be fulfilled? Would the messianic kingdom of God now be established? These are the questions faced by the post-exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
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The Coming of the Son of Man — The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
from Keith Mathison Apr 16, 2012 Category: Articles
The vision recorded in the seventh chapter of Daniel is central to the book, and understanding it is crucial to grasping the meaning of a number of otherwise obscure passages in the New Testament. Daniel received this vision in the first year of Belshazzar (v. 1), so it occurred sometime after the events of chapter 4 but before the events of chapter 5. In the vision, Daniel sees the winds of heaven stirring up the sea (v. 2). From the sea, he witnesses four great beasts arise, each different from the other (v. 3). The first beast is like a lion with eagles' wings (v. 4). Its wings are removed and it is made to stand on two feet like a man. The second beast is like a bear (v. 5). It is raised up on one side and has three ribs in its mouth. The third beast is like a leopard (v. 6), but it has four wings and four heads. The fourth beast is almost indescribable (v. 7). It is terrifying and strong. It devours with its iron teeth and crushes what is left with its feet. It also has ten horns. As Daniel considers the horns, he sees a little horn arise among the ten (v. 8). The little horn has the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things.
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The New Covenant — The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
from Keith Mathison Apr 09, 2012 Category: Articles
Commentators often refer to chapters 30–33 of Jeremiah as the "Book of Consolation."i This section of the book has been given this name because, as J. A. Thompson explains, "it gives expression to hopes for the future rather than judgment which characterizes earlier chapters."ii Earlier chapters of Jeremiah were not without occasional references to future restoration after the judgment of exile, but the theme was not prominent. Here the themes of restoration and hope move to the forefront and are developed extensively. This section of the book reaches its climax in Jeremiah's prophecy of a new covenant in chapter 31.
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The Coming King — The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
from Keith Mathison Mar 26, 2012 Category: Articles
The unifying theme of Isaiah 6–12 is the coming Messianic king. Chapters 6 and 12 frame the entire subsection, with chapter 6 telling of the call and cleansing of Isaiah and chapter 12 recording the song of salvation sung by the saved community. The subsection begins with the death of King Uzziah, the embodiment of the Davidic house. Chapters 7–11 then center on the coming of a holy and divine monarch. The two kingships, the divine and the Davidic, will ultimately merge in a Messianic King from the house of David (cf. 7:14; 9:6–7; 11:1–10).
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Understanding the Prophets — The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
from Keith Mathison Mar 19, 2012 Category: Articles
The interpretation of the prophetic books is not a simple matter, and in order to understand these books, they must be approached with care and caution. They cannot be approached as if they were little more than collections of arcane predictions. As we shall discover, they are much more than this, but before proceeding to an examination of the individual prophetic books, we must answer some preliminary questions. First, what is a prophet?
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Session 10, Steven Lawson — 2012 National Conference
from Keith Mathison Mar 17, 2012 Category: Ministry News
The tenth main message of the 2012 Ligonier Ministries National Conference was from Dr. Steven Lawson and titled, “Foolishness to the Greeks.” Dr. Lawson reminded us that anti-intellectualism is not the only danger Christians face. Those who seek to reclaim the Christian mind face the opposite danger — allowing a desire to please God to mutate into pride and a vain desire for worldly respect. In this message, Dr. Steven Lawson explained how we must walk a fine line and never accommodate the gospel in an attempt to please the cultured despisers of Christianity. Keep Reading -
Session 9, Robert Godfrey — 2012 National Conference
from Keith Mathison Mar 17, 2012 Category: Ministry News
The ninth main message of the 2012 Ligonier Ministries National Conference was from Dr. Robert Godfrey and titled, "Ignorance is Not Bliss." Dr. Godfrey reminded us of the importance of rejecting anti-intellectualist approaches to the culture and to engage the philosophical, scientific, and religious challenges of the day in a fully-informed, Christ exalting way. Keep Reading -
Session 5, Sinclair Ferguson — 2012 National Conference
from Keith Mathison Mar 16, 2012 Category: Ministry News
The fifth main message of the 2012 Ligonier Ministries National Conference was from Dr. Sinclair Ferguson and titled, "Losing My Religion." Dr. Ferguson described the endemic problem of doctrinal shallowness. He encouraged all of us to wrestle with the deep things of God and to stretch ourselves by reading some of the great theologians of the past. Keep Reading -
Session 2, Robert Godfrey — 2012 National Conference
from Keith Mathison Mar 15, 2012 Category: Ministry News
The second message of the 2012 Ligonier Ministries National Conference was from Dr. Robert Godfrey and titled, "We Don't Need No Education." Dr. Godfrey reminded us that at one time Christians, particularly Reformed Christians, were the intellectual leaders in America, but that this is no longer the case. He explained the role that anti-intellectualism played in this self-inflicted problem and what we must do to turn it around. Keep Reading -
Sit At My Right Hand — The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
from Keith Mathison Mar 12, 2012 Category: Articles
Psalm 110 is one of the kingship or royal psalms. It is one of the most frequently quoted psalms in the entire New Testament (cf., Matt. 22:44; 26:64; Mark 12:36; 14:62; 16:19; Luke 20:42–44; 22:69; Acts 2:34–35; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 5:6; 7:17, 21; 8:1; 10:12–13; 12:2). According to its title, David was the author of this psalm, a fact that is crucial to its interpretation within the New Testament.
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