In 1625, a remarkable monument was unearthed near Chang’an, China, a city about 1,500 miles inland from the coast. The monument praised God for the glorious success of the early Assyrian Apostolic Church and was erected in the year AD 781 by order of the Chinese Emperor, a ruler of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907). […]
Far from being an abstract spiritual story, the Bible provides the names of myriads of characters (not only the heroes of the stories, but also minor players), places, weights, years and time spans, plants and animals, customs, and traditions. Take for example how the Gospel of Luke (3:1, 2) prefaces the story about John the […]
The Bible claims to predict events centuries and millennia ahead, all the way to the end of time. Of course, anyone can make predictions. The crucial question is: Do those predictions come true? The Bible sets up its own validation process: “How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a […]
As the world’s best-selling and most widely distributed book of all times,1 it would be impossible for the Bible not to make a global impact in human society.
The Development of Language and Learning
Just 70 years before Shakespeare put pen to paper, there was no viable written English language. The educated communicated in Latin. […]
Nehemiah, one of the Hebrew exiles, occupied a position of influence and honor in the Persian court. As cupbearer to the king, he was admitted freely to the royal presence. By virtue of his position and because of his abilities and fidelity, he had become the monarch’s friend and counselor. The recipient of royal favor, […]
God purposed to make the occasion of speaking His Law a scene of awful grandeur, in keeping with its exalted character. The people were to be impressed that everything connected with the service of God must be regarded with the greatest reverence. The Lord said to Moses: “Go unto the people and sanctify them today […]
The Roman Emperor Constantine had a problem—how to maintain unity across his far-flung empire. Despite centuries of persecution, Christianity was still growing. Admittedly, Christians were peaceable citizens who worked an honest day and paid their taxes. Who wouldn’t want an empire filled with such good people? But the pagans feared that the growing Christian population […]
“Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come! Give your hearts to Jesus, He is coming soon!” In 1843, this proclamation was heard throughout Europe, but it did not come from the lips of gray-haired men trained in theological seminaries. It came from the lips of little children. […]
Fairest among the cities of the Jordan Valley was Sodom. Here was the home of the palm tree, the olive, and the vine, and flowers shed their fragrance throughout the year. The treasures of the East adorned her palaces, and the caravans of the desert brought their stores of precious things to supply her marts […]