Scripture’s Testimony (John 5:45-47)

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46).

The Pharisees, who prided themselves so much on knowing the Scriptures, failed to recognize the One whom Moses wrote about. The Pharisees were guilty not only of rejecting Christ’s words but of rejecting the words of the Scriptures—despite that they were living according to the Word of God.

Some branches of the Christian church have taught that the Old Testament did not speak of Christ, that the law taught salvation by works, and that the Jews were saved through obedience to the law. Some have even said that the God of the Old Testament was different from the God of the new. The God of the old dispensation was mean and wrathful; the God of the new is gentle and merciful. God, however, is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The old dispensation never taught salvation by works. Salvation has always been by grace and through faith. This was Jesus’ point in John 5:46.

Hendriksen explains that there are four lines running through the Old Testament which lead to the coming Messiah: historical, typological, psychological, and prophetical.

First, the entire history of the nation of Israel teaches that the forces of darkness continually advance against God’s people, and, therefore, only God can save them.

Second, the ceremonial law, the sacrifices, systems, and signs all pointed to man’s need for atonement and to the coming Redeemer.

Third, time and again the Israelites broke God’s covenant. People like Moses, David, and Job all realized their helplessness to save themselves. They looked forward to the Redeemer’s coming.

Finally, the prophetic writings are filled with truths concerning the coming of Christ—that He would be born in Bethlehem, that He would speak the truth, that Elijah would be His forerunner, and that He would perform miracles.

On account of all these testimonies within Scripture, the Pharisees then had no excuse to reject Christ. People today are left with no excuse. Even those who have never read the Bible stand condemned because the law has been written on their hearts, yet they still refuse to worship God.

Take some time to read Stephen’s testimony of Christ (Acts 6:8–7:60). What was the response of the Jews? You should be able to use the Old Testament as proof concerning Christ. Using Acts 6, 7 and corresponding verses become familiar with passages that speak of Christ.

Why Biblical Inerrancy Does Require a Young Earth

It’s become increasingly common—even in conservative Christian circles—to hear believers say something like, “I believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, but I don’t think Genesis has to be taken literally.” Often what follows is an attempt to accommodate secular interpretations of earth history—whether that’s through day-age theories, gap theories, or theistic evolution.

But here’s the problem: If we really believe the Bible is inerrant, we can’t just reinterpret the plain meaning of the text whenever it conflicts with popular scientific consensus.

Genesis clearly teaches that God created everything in six days and rested on the seventh (Genesis 1–2), and those days are defined with “evening and morning”—a natural day. The genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 provide an unbroken timeline from Adam to Abraham. When taken at face value—as Jesus and the apostles did—Scripture points to an earth that is thousands, not billions, of years old.

To suggest otherwise undermines the very doctrine of inerrancy we claim to uphold. It introduces doubt about what God meant, about what is history and what is poetry, and about whether the Bible speaks clearly at all. It also raises questions: If Genesis doesn’t mean what it says, what else in Scripture is open to reinterpretation?

The issue isn’t simply about the age of the earth. It’s about the authority of Scripture. Do we let God’s Word speak plainly, or do we filter it through the lens of human reasoning?

I highly recommend watching the following video of debate between Hugh Ross and Terry Mortensen which addresses this question with clarity and conviction:

As for me, I’m convicted that we must stand on the whole counsel of God—starting from the very first verse. 

Loving God, Knowing Christ (John 5:41-44)

“But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you” (John 5:42).

What was at the heart of the controversy between Jesus and the Jews? The Jews probably thought Jesus was offended because they did not praise Him for healing the man at the pool. But this was not the root of the problem. Jesus did not seek the praise of man, which He states in verse 41: “I do not receive honor from men” (even though God does command us to give Him honor and praise). The problem was lack of love: “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.” If the Pharisees had really loved God, if His Spirit had been dwelling in their hearts, if they had truly known Him, they would have recognized the divine majesty of Jesus, the Son of God.

The Pharisees, who studied the law so thoroughly, would have known that the essence of the law is to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. But this love was foreign to them, and so they were blinded to the truth.

“Lack of love always has a blinding effect,” Hendriksen writes. “It was not lack of evidence but lack of love which caused these men to reject the Christ.”

We would be amazed at how our knowledge of Christ would grow if only we loved Him more. All of us can testify to this relation between love and knowledge. The more we love someone, the more likely we are to see their good points, those traits that others are blinded to because they really do not love them.

This is John’s point in 1 John 4:8, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” To love God is to know Him and to know Him is to love Him. If we truly love God, we will know His Son because His Son has come in His Name.

As Jesus said, the Pharisees did not really love God, so they did not know Him when He came in the flesh. People today also reject Jesus Christ, not because they do not have enough evidence, but because they do not love God. Therefore, do not be drawn into endless arguments with unbelievers, thinking you can convince them of the truth about Christ. Instead, confront them as Jesus did, and tell them that their unbelief is not based on lack of proof but lack of love for God.

How necessary is love in the Christian life? Can you honestly say, based on these passages, that you love Christ? Spend some serious time in prayer today, asking God to give you more love for Him so that you might know Him, obey Him, and love others.

Our Glorious Return with Christ: Why the Rapture and Second Coming Must Be Separate Events

Have you ever stopped to consider that as believers in Christ, we will participate in the most spectacular event the world will ever witness? Nothing in human history—past or future—can compare to the breathtaking sight of Jesus returning to earth in magnificent glory and power.

The Biblical Sequence of End-Time Events

Revelation 19 paints this extraordinary picture: thunderous praise for our Savior, followed by our celebration with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Then, "arrayed in fine linen, white and pure," we follow Jesus back to earth riding on white horses (Revelation 19:11-16) and reign with Him during His thousand-year rule over the nations (Revelation 20:1-10).

This vision aligns perfectly with what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28:

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

According to these verses, Jesus must govern humanity during a time when sin and death still exist so that He can subject "all things" to Himself. Only after Jesus' reign over the nations—which culminates in the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15)—does death finally disappear, creating the conditions described in Revelation 21:4 where mourning, crying, and pain cease to exist.

The Problem with Combining the Rapture and Second Coming

This biblical sequence directly contradicts popular teachings that combine the Rapture with the Second Coming. These viewpoints not only rob us of our thrilling return with Jesus, but also contradict Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. Let me explain why.

Issues with Placing the Rapture After the Tribulation

Some Bible teachers combine the Rapture and Second Coming while claiming to believe in a literal seven-year tribulation and thousand-year reign of Jesus. However, this position creates several theological problems:

• It eliminates the possibility of sin during Jesus' reign. How could the rebellion described in Revelation 20:7-10 occur if everyone enters the Millennium with incorruptible bodies incapable of sinning? Who would refuse to participate in the Feast of Booths as Zechariah 14:16-19 suggests some will?
• It negates the biblical separation between Israel and the Church. Numerous Old Testament passages promise a visible restored kingdom specifically to the Jewish people. Combining the Rapture and Second Coming makes Israel part of the raptured church at Jesus' return rather than the distinct entity Scripture teaches it to be.
• It renders the Millennium purposeless in God's plan. If 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 reaches fulfillment before Jesus returns, what would be the purpose of the Millennium? Paul's passage requires Jesus to rule during a time when sin and death remain possible—something that can't happen if everyone enters the kingdom with immortal, sinless bodies.

The Popular "Post-Tribulation" View Falls Short

Today's most popular "post-tribulation" teaching makes the Rapture and Second Coming a single end-of-age event when Jesus returns to usher in the eternal state. Despite denying a literal future tribulation and thousand-year reign, many still call themselves "post-tribulationists," while others dismiss the Rapture entirely.

This teaching is unbiblical because it imposes a predetermined end-times scenario onto Scripture rather than allowing the inspired text to speak for itself (2 Peter 1:19-21). It substitutes human reasoning for the wisdom flowing from God's Word.

Since this view denies Jesus' millennial rule, it must place the fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (where Jesus puts all things in subjection and destroys death) in the current church age. But is this happening now? Clearly not. Our world grows increasingly chaotic and rebellious against God's authority. Jesus is certainly not bringing "all things in subjection under him" during our present age.

Biblical Proof: Why the Rapture and Second Coming Cannot Be the Same Event

Beyond theological inconsistencies, Scripture itself makes combining these events impossible. Here's why:

• Different timing of the resurrection. At the Rapture, Jesus first raises "the dead in Christ" (1 Thessalonians 4:16)—it's His immediate action. At His return to earth, He doesn't resurrect the Tribulation saints until after several other events (Revelation 19:17-20:4).
• Different participants in the resurrection. The Rapture involves all "the dead in Christ" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). After the Second Coming, Jesus raises only the Tribulation saints (Revelation 20:4-6). If these were the same event, why would Scripture describe two different resurrection groups?
• Different meeting places. At the Rapture, believers meet Jesus "in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the Second Coming, Jesus sends angels to gather the "elect" after He arrives on earth (Matthew 24:31). If all saints were already with Jesus in a combined scenario, why would He need to gather anyone?
• Different destinations for believers. After the Rapture, believers go to heaven—to the place Jesus is preparing (John 14:2-3; Colossians 3:4). In every Second Coming account, believers remain on earth after meeting Jesus (Matthew 24:31, Zechariah 14:5).

The necessity of mortal survivors for the Millennium. Scripture clearly describes people during the Millennium who can sin (Isaiah 65:20) and nations that can rebel (Revelation 20:7-10). This requires some people to enter the Millennium with natural bodies capable of reproduction and sin—impossible if everyone receives glorified bodies at a combined Rapture/Second Coming.

Additional Scriptural Evidence

Let me offer some additional scriptural support that further demonstrates why these must be separate events:

• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 distinguishes between "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" and "our gathering together to Him." Paul indicates that the "man of lawlessness" must be revealed before the Day of the Lord (Second Coming) but says nothing about this requirement for the Rapture.
• Revelation 3:10 promises believers that Jesus will "keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world." The Greek preposition "from" (ek) literally means "out from within," suggesting removal before—not protection during—the Tribulation.
• Matthew 25:31-46 describes the judgment of the nations after Christ's return. If the Rapture and Second Coming were simultaneous, there would be no mortal nations left to judge—everyone would either have glorified bodies or be condemned.
• Zechariah 14:16-19 mentions survivors from the nations that attacked Jerusalem who will be required to observe the Feast of Booths during the Millennium. This necessitates mortal survivors of the Tribulation—impossible in a combined Rapture/Second Coming model.

Why This Matters

This isn't merely an academic theological exercise. Separating the Rapture from the Second Coming confirms our participation in history's most spectacular event (Revelation 19:11-16).

Already clothed "with fine linen, bright and pure" at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, we will remain so arrayed as we ride with our Savior back to earth (Revelation 19:8, 14). The Greek word for "bright" in 19:14 is "lampros," from which we get our word "lamp."

It will literally be our time to shine! Imagine the thrill of following our Lord back to the world that once rejected Him.

The pre-Tribulation Rapture also preserves the nature of Daniel's seventieth week as God's focused time of bringing Israel to repentance. Both "post-Tribulation" viewpoints blur the biblical distinction between Israel and the Church that's clearly established in Daniel 9:24-27 and throughout Scripture.

While I eagerly anticipate meeting Jesus in the air and watch attentively for His appearing, I also long for that moment when, mounted on a white horse, I'll return with my Savior to earth. There will be something uniquely satisfying about watching the once-despised Jesus complete His destruction of Satan's kingdom, establish His rule over the nations, and receive the glory He so richly deserves.

Yes, it will be a time for us to shine—but only because of the Lord's grace and mercy by which He allows us to share in His glorious moment.

What about you? Are you ready for both our meeting with Jesus in the air and our triumphant return with Him to earth?

Knowing the Word (John 5:37-40)

"But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe" (John 5:38).

Jesus told the Pharisees of two more witnesses who testified concerning Him: God the Father and the Scriptures. The Father testified of Jesus on the day of His baptism when the heavens parted, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and God said, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John the Baptist heard this proclamation, thus hearing God’s voice and seeing His “form.” But the Pharisees who were present at Jesus’ baptism evidently did not hear this voice or see His form because they did not have the Word abiding in them. They did not have faith.

Even the testimony of the Scriptures left them unenlightened because the Word was not alive and active within their hearts and minds. The veil of unbelief that Jesus came to remove from so many covered their eyes and prohibited them from accepting the truth concerning the Messiah. Only Christ can remove that veil, but only for those who have faith in Him. Without faith, no one will believe the testimony of God and the Scriptures. No matter how diligently they might search the Scriptures, no matter how many doctrinal dissertations they might read, if they do not have faith in Christ, they will not be changed. They will not hear or understand the true nature of God’s grace and their dependence on Christ for salvation.

Knowing a lot of Scripture, memorizing lengthy passages, expounding on deep doctrines, possessing a lot of practical wisdom—all these are good, but none guarantee salvation. It is sad, but true, that many people know a great deal about religion, but they never come to saving faith.

This should serve as a warning to all Christians. Don’t assume you are saved just because you know a lot of doctrine and study the Scriptures. If all you have is a lot of knowledge about Christianity with no personal relationship with Christ then you are deluding yourself just as the Pharisees did. Is your religion just the accumulation of knowledge or does it consist of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is growing deeper every year?

Remembering today’s passage, examine your own relationship with Jesus. Spend some time in prayer, asking God to guard your heart against “dead orthodoxy.” Confess to Him those times when you have made study of the Scriptures an end in itself instead of a means to lead you to Christ.