The year 1844 stands as a turning point spiritually, prophetically, politically, and socially. As Christ was preparing the way for His truth to be proclaimed globally, Bible-based principles were rediscovered and revived. Yet at the same time, Satan worked relentlessly to obscure truth and counteract its influence.
Around the world, people are searching for genuine spiritual experiences. Some wonder if miracles and signs are proof of a close connection with God. Many people have heard of “speaking in tongues.” Some picture a person praying in a language no one understands; others imagine an ancient miracle that no longer happens. The topic can feel confusing, but the Bible actually explains it quite clearly.
Different Ways Christians Understand Tongues
Across Christian traditions, there are a few main ways people interpret this gift:
1. The Classical or Biblical View
This view says the gift of tongues was the supernatural ability to speak real, human languages that the speaker had never studied. The first example is in the book of Acts chapter 2, where Jesus’ followers suddenly spoke in the native languages of people visiting Jerusalem from many different nations.
2. The Pentecostal and Charismatic View
In these churches, “tongues” is often described as a spiritual or heavenly language, a way to pray directly to God. It’s seen as a special sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit and can be used for personal prayer or in group worship when someone interprets what is said.
3. A Mixed or Evangelical View
Some Christians believe both kinds exist: real languages for public use (with interpretation) and private, prayerful speech for personal devotion. Others accept tongues but insist it should always be done responsibly, clearly, one person at a time, and with interpretation so everyone understands.
Even though these groups differ, they all agree on one thing: the gift of tongues is connected to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
What the Bible Actually Describes
To understand what the Bible itself means, it helps to start at the beginning, with Acts chapter 2.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ disciples. Instantly, they began speaking in many different languages they had never learned. People from across the ancient world were in Jerusalem at the time, and they were stunned to hear the message of God in their own native tongues.
Every man heard them speak in his own language. — Acts 2:6
This was not a mysterious or emotional experience for its own sake. It was a clear sign of God’s purpose, to make the good news of Jesus understandable to everyone, no matter their nationality or language.
The Bible lists many of the languages heard that day: Parthian, Median, Elamite, Egyptian, Arabic, and more. The message was the same in every language: God’s wonderful works and the story of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Why the Gift Was Given
The purpose of tongues in the Bible was communication, not confusion. God wanted the message of salvation to spread quickly and clearly.
At the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), human pride led to confusion of languages and division. At Pentecost, God reversed that confusion, this time using language to unite people in truth.
Each time tongues appear in the book of Acts (chapters 2, 10, and 19), the same thing happens: the Holy Spirit empowers believers to speak or proclaim the gospel, and others understand them. Tongues served as a sign that God’s message was for every nation.
One Gift Among Many
Later in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about various spiritual gifts, abilities given by the Holy Spirit to help build up the church and serve others.
He lists many:
All these work by one and the same Spirit, who gives to each one just as He chooses. — 1 Corinthians 12:11
Paul explains that not everyone receives the same gift, and tongues is only one of many. He actually places more emphasis on gifts that build up others, like teaching, encouragement, or prophecy (speaking God’s truth clearly).
Most importantly, Paul says that even if a person could “speak with the tongues of men and of angels” but lacked love, it would mean nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1). Love, not ecstatic speech, is the truest evidence of the Spirit’s presence.
Keeping the Right Focus
Paul also gives practical guidance for using tongues in worship:
His goal was simple: that everyone could understand and be helped. He wrote,
For Paul, the Spirit’s gifts were never about personal display. They were about helping others understand God’s truth and experience His love.
Do These Gifts Still Exist Today?
Christians have debated for centuries whether miraculous gifts like tongues and healing still happen.
The Bible itself gives a hopeful answer. In Acts 2, Peter quoted the prophet Joel:
Peter said this prophecy was beginning at Pentecost and would continue “in the last days.” The New Testament describes no expiration date for the Spirit’s gifts; instead, it points to their purpose, helping the church grow and the gospel reach the world.
Why the Bible Must Be Our Authority
When is comes to spiritual gifts, or any matter of faith, it's essential that we let the Bible be our final authority. Feelings and personal experiences can seem convincing, but they are not always trustworthy. Jesus warned that in the last days, Satan would perform "great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24). Not every supernatural display is from God, and emotional experiences are not reliable tests of truth.
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit truly came down as tongues of fire upon the disciples. This was a genuine outpouring from heaven that empowered them to share the gospel in many languages, bringing conviction, repentance, and a deep love for God's truth. But Revelation 13 describes a very different kind of fire, a false sign performed by the beast power that "makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." This deceptive "fire from heaven" imitates the true outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but its purpose is to mislead the world into worshipping the beast rather than the Creator.
The differences between these two manifestations is striking. The true fire of the Spirit leads to obedience, humility, and a desire to glorify God. The false fire exalts human power and directs worship away from God's Word. That is why our faith must rest on Scripture alone. The Bible, not emotion, not miracles, not popular opinion, is the ultimate test of what is true. The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Word of God; instead, He leads us deeper into it.
What Really Matters
The true miracle of tongues is not the sound of many languages, it’s the sound of God’s truth reaching every heart, and people from different nations and backgrounds hearing the gospel of Jesus.
Even more important than any spiritual gift is the gift of a new heart, a heart transformed by faith in Christ and filled with His love. Jesus Himself, though filled with the Spirit, never spoke in tongues. Instead, He taught, healed, forgave, and showed compassion. That is what the Spirit empowers believers to do today: to live out love and truth in everyday life.
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. — John 13:35
What This Means for Us
We don’t need a supernatural experience to begin a relationship with God. The same Holy Spirit who spoke through the disciples at Pentecost is still drawing people to Christ today, people of every language, background, and story.
God’s invitation is simple:
Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. — Acts 2:38
That promise is for everyone.
The Chinese written language is one of the oldest and most enduring writing systems in the world, using logographic characters—symbols representing words or meaningful concepts—rather than phonetic sounds. Its origins stretch back more than 3,000 years to the Shang dynasty, with oracle bone inscriptions from around 1200 BCE, and its visual nature has allowed it to unify speakers of many dialects while evolving over millennia. Interestingly, some of the oldest characters appear to preserve themes found in the book of Genesis, such as the character for “temptation,” which merges symbols for a WOMAN and TWO TREES, echoing the story of Eve and the serpent, and the character for “boat,” which combines EIGHT, PEOPLE, and SHIP, paralleling the eight persons saved in Noah’s ark during the flood.
We’re excited to announce the launch of a brand-new sister blog dedicated to health, healing, and well-being from a biblical perspective. While this blog remains focused on Bible prophecy and preparing spiritually for the end times, we recognize that physical health is an essential part of readiness, too.
Constantine, along with Licinius, issued the Edict of Milan, which granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire. It legalized Christianity, ending centuries of persecution allowed Christians to worship freely and restored confiscated Church property.
The story of Jephthah and his vow is one of the most challenging accounts in the book of Judges, often raising questions about sacrifice, devotion, and God’s will. At first glance, it may appear that Jephthah offered his daughter as a burnt sacrifice, something God clearly abhorred and repeatedly forbade His people to imitate from the surrounding nations. Yet, a closer look at Scripture reveals a deeper meaning: Jephthah’s daughter was not slain, but rather consecrated, a living sacrifice, wholly dedicated to God. This study will explore the biblical context of vows, God’s rejection of human sacrifice, and how Jephthah’s daughter’s submission reflects the call of Romans 12:1 to present our lives as holy and acceptable to the Lord.
The story of Job is often read as an example of patience and faith in the midst of great suffering. Satan accuses Job of serving God only for His blessings, and God allows Job’s faith to be tested. Job endures unimaginable loss, his wealth, his health, and even his children, yet he does not curse God. While Job is usually the focus, it is worth pausing to consider the grief and perspective of his wife, who suffered these losses alongside him. Her response, though often criticized, raises important questions about how we walk with others through seasons of sorrow.
Job’s Test of Faith
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him… But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. — Job 1:8-10
Satan charges that Job’s devotion rests only on God’s protection. With God’s permission, Satan strips Job of everything—his servants, possessions, children, and finally his health. Yet Job continues to trust God.
Job’s Wife Speaks
In the ashes of his suffering, Job’s wife urges him to let go:
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. — Job 2:9-10
Her words are often dismissed as foolish, even compared to mockers at the cross (Matthew 27:43). Yet we must remember Job’s losses were hers too. The children Job mourned were the ones she bore and nurtured. While Job tore his robe and worshipped, Scripture does not record anyone comforting his wife.
The Need to Mourn
The Bible never condemns mourning. In fact, it calls it a necessary part of life and even a source of blessing:
To every thing there is a season… a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4)
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. (Romans 12:15)
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
When Job’s friends first arrive, they respond rightly:
They lifted up their eyes afar off… they lifted up their voice, and wept… So they sat down with him… seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. — Job 2:12-13
Comfort sometimes means presence, not explanations.
Empty Comforts
Many of us have heard well-meaning words during grief: “God works in mysterious ways,” “At least it wasn’t worse,” “Be thankful for what you still have.” While true in a sense, such words can feel hollow when someone is crushed by sorrow. Even Job, who once comforted others, found little comfort when those same phrases were turned back on him (Job 4–10).
Instead of relief, Job’s friends added weight to his suffering, until he longed for death itself (Job 10:1). Scripture shows that even the faithful—Moses (Numbers 11:14-15), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:14-18), Jonah (Jonah 4:3,9), and Elijah (1 Kings 19:4)—struggled with despair and thoughts of death. Even Jesus confessed:
My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. — Matthew 26:38
Christ’s Example of Comfort
At Lazarus’s tomb, Jesus models true compassion:
When Jesus therefore saw (Mary) weeping, and the Jews also weeping… he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled… Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! — John 11:33-36
Jesus did not rush His friends through their grief. Though He knew resurrection was moments away, He first shared in their sorrow. His tears spoke louder than any words.
The Takeaway
Scripture reminds us that comfort is not about quick answers, but about love, patience, and shared burdens:
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2
Judge not… but rather… that no man put a stumbling block… in his brother’s way. (Romans 14:13)
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. (Romans 12:15)
Charity suffereth long, and is kind… beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4,7)
Job’s wife may not have spoken wisely, but her grief was real. In her pain, she needed compassion more than correction. And so do we all.
*All scripture are taken from the King James Version unless otherwise specified.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the 7th day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the 7th day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the 7th day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:1-3
The seal of the president of the United States is used to mark correspondence from the president of the United States to the U.S. Congress, and is also used as a symbol of the presidency itself. The central design, based on the Great Seal of the United States first adopted by the U.S. Congress on June 20, 1782, is the official coat of arms of the U.S. presidency and also appears on the presidential flag.
A king’s seal is like a signature, password, and stamp of authority all in one—authenticating royal documents and protecting them from tampering. Historically, a king’s seal served as a symbol of the monarch's sovereign authority.
All royal seals—especially historical ones—tend to share three core elements that identify them as official and authoritative symbols of the monarch:
Did you know that God also has an official seal?
As the disciples returned from Olivet to Jerusalem, the people looked on them, expecting to see on their faces expressions of sorrow, confusion, and defeat; but they saw there gladness and triumph. The disciples did not now mourn over disappointed hopes. They had seen the risen Saviour, and the words of His parting promise echoed constantly in their ears.
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Deuteronomy 28:15-16
And unto the angel of
the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the
faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked: I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see. Revelation 3:14-18
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 3:19-21
Christians are called to be faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to them, using their time, talents, and resources in ways that honour Him and serve others. While some may view investing in the stock market as a form of financial stewardship, Scripture repeatedly emphasizes working diligently, providing for one’s family, supporting the poor, and avoiding participation in systems that exploit others or promote greed. This study examines what it means to manage wealth biblically, considering God’s call to labour, give generously, and act justly, and asks whether engaging in the stock market aligns with the principles of faithful stewardship.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20
While mainstream Christianity has varied views on the Rapture the most common view is that the Rapture is a pre-tribulation event where believers are taken away to heaven before a period of intense tribulation and judgment on those left behind.
Christians hope to be taken away while others fear being left behind, but what does the Bible say on these things?
William Miller was a farmer in the early 1800s who gave his life to God and began intensely studying his Bible. He gained fame for his interpretation of biblical prophecies, particularly those in the Book of Daniel, leading to his prediction of the Second Coming of Christ in 1843. This belief sparked the Millerite movement, a significant religious phenomenon in 19th-century North America.
Ellen White has written positively about Miller in The Great Controversy and elsewhere. She heard him preach, and accepted his teachings, going through the disappointment at age 16. She believed that his preaching fulfilled the prophecies of Scripture, and saw him being guided by the Lord.
A 2013 Pew Research Center survey found that roughly a quarter of adults (24%) say that "a supreme being guided the evolution of living things for the purpose of creating humans and other life in the form it exists today". The survey also showed that 36% of white evangelical Protestants say humans have evolved over time, while 60% say humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.
Some Christian thinkers, like Charles Kingsley and Frederick Temple, began to reconcile evolution with their faith in the 19th century, suggesting that evolution could be a mechanism used by God.
In his encyclical "Humani Generis," Pope Pius XII stated that Catholic teachings on creation could coexist with evolutionary theory, provided that the human soul is a direct creation of God. Pope John Paul II further clarified the Church's view, stating that evolution is "more than a hypothesis" and that the Church recognizes the scientific validity of evolution.
Many Catholics, and other Christians, embrace the concept of theistic evolution, which suggests that God used the process of evolution to create life, rather than a literal, six-day creation.
But what does the Bible say?
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But
every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered
dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For
if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a
shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For
a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image
and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. 1 Corinthians 11:4-16
Is Paul saying that a woman should have her head covered when she prays or prophesizes? Let's examine a few key verses from the passage above using the Bible's own principles for studying scripture to discern what God's word really says on the matter.
The writers of the New Testament wrote in Greek and used the word "oinos" (οἶνος) broadly to encompass any beverage made from grapes, whether it was freshly pressed juice or fermented wine. Unlike modern languages, the ancient Greek language didn't have a specific word to distinguish between wine and unfermented grape juice, (neither did ancient Hebrew), relying instead on the context to clarify whether fermented, alcoholic wine or unfermented, grape juice is being referred to.
Let's use the Bible's own principles to study the subject and whether or not Christians should consume alcohol.
Nearly 60 years ago, on March 4, 1966, London's Evening Standard published the interview where John Lennon made the infamous claim that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus:
"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I'll be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."
Less than 15 years later, Lennon was fatally shot by one of his own "disciples," American fan Mark David Chapman.
Film, in addition to radio and television, are mediums where by programs are broadcast through various channels. Hollywood has produced many stars who are worshipped as idols by their adoring fans.
The entertainment industry could have devised any number of terms to describe what they do. It is interesting how each of these terms, medium, broadcast, channel, program, idol, stars, also have occult significance, even the name itself, Hollywood, also known as "Tinseltown", and its association with Los Angeles. Let's look at a few of those terms now.
Another year of life is now in the past. A new year is opening before us. What will be its record? What will we each inscribe upon its spotless pages? The manner in which we spend each passing day will decide this question....