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what is a church What is a Church? - An audio presentation by Norman Crawford regarding the New Testament's teaching about the Church.  There are two definitions found in the Bible for the "Church": The Church which is His body and the local church.  (more)
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  • Aric Stickfort
    Aric StickfortAric Stickfort - my grandpa often asked me “When are you going to get saved”. I never answered his question in all the years he asked me. Then he passed away. God used this to loudly speak to me. I knew for sure he was at peace, home in Heaven with his Savior. I never stopped thinking about that..
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Gospel Hall dot Org exists to share information about assemblies of Christians who gather to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to raise awareness of the gospel message and teaching about Christian living in a New Testament Church. 

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  • Is the "prophetic view" of Revelation two and three an interpretation or an application?
    Is the "prophetic view" of Revelation two and three an interpretation or an application?

    The conditions described in the seven letters John distributed were actual literal conditions existing in seven specific churches. This is primary in interpreting these letters. On that basis, the letters teach assembly truths either by statement or principles. Unless we have divine authority for doing differently, we look for only one interpretation of a passage. When a New Testament writer cites an Old Testament passage, he invariably treats that passage consistent with its accepted interpretation.

    These letters to the seven churches, however, come with divine authority for a second interpretation. First, the command to write the book came from the First and the Last (1:17). That title comes from the Lord’s statements in Isaiah (41:4; 44:6; 48:12) in which He asserts He is the First, who determined His counsels before any creation existed. Only He can communicate His counsels (44:6, 7). He is the Last, who will have the "last word," completing the counsels He has communicated. When He commands John (Revelation 1:19)" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 1:19) to record what he has seen (chapter 1), what is (chapters 2 and 3), and what "shall be hereafter" (chapters 4-22), all three sections communicate His counsels which He will complete. "What is," therefore, communicates truth about the future.

    Second, "these things" in the expression "the things that are about to come after these things" (1:19, YLT) refers back to its nearest antecedent, "the things that are." When John records "after these things" (4:1 YLT), he indicates that "the things that are" continue right up until the events of chapter 4 which correspond to the Rapture.

    Third, the Lord refers to "the mystery of the seven stars" (1:20). A mystery is truth that can only be known by divine revelation (Ephesians 3:3, 5)." TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 3:3, 5). Grammatically, the mystery is related to what went before it (v. 20). What follows, namely the identification of the stars as angels and the lampstands as churches, is hardly the full unfolding of the mystery.

    This leads to the conclusion that a second and equally valid interpretation of the seven letters is the "prophetic view."

    D. Oliver
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