The Riddleblog

Trouble In the Middle East -- Time to Check the Rapture Index

With the Israeli-Palestinian conflict heating up, I thought it a good time to check the Rapture Index, something I do periodically to keep tabs on the current state of biblical prophecy punditry. The current Rapture Index level is 188, high enough to “fasten our seat belts.” The Rapture Index low in 2020 was 176—a significant decline from previous highs despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The lower number—if I had to guess—was due to the proprietors’ support of former president Trump.

As long as Trump was president, the Rapture didn’t seem quit as imminent. But Biden is now president, and the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians is very tense, the index has returned to 188, just short of the all-time high of 189 (in October of 2016).

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End Times NuttinessKim RiddlebargerMay 24, 2021Rapture Index, Signs of the EndComment

Joseph's Faith in the Face of Death

A key figure in the closing chapters of the Book of Genesis, Joseph is known for several things: his “coat of many colors,” being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and for his remarkable ability to interpret the dreams of the Egyptian Pharaoh. But when the author of Hebrews looks back on the life of Joseph in Hebrews 11 (the so-called “hall of faith”), Joseph is remembered for something we often forget. “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22).

Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob. Rachel was his mother. Joseph became the apple of his father’s eye and the recipient of the famous multicoat–a gift from his father, provoking great jealousy on the part of his brothers. Joseph even had the nerve to claim he had a dream in which his older brothers bowed down to him. When Jacob sent the seventeen year-old upstart Joseph to find his brothers, they plot to kill him. One of his brothers, Reuben, talked the others into throwing Joseph down a well, knowing that he (Reuben) would return later and rescue him. Instead, Joseph was sold to traders, who took Joseph into Egypt, where he was sold again to Potiphar. While in Potiphar’s care, God was with Joseph, who thrived. Through a series of remarkable events, including interpreting Pharaoh’s dream (Genesis 41), Joseph became viceroy over all of Egypt.

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Biblical EventsKim RiddlebargerMay 17, 2021Joseph, Joseph's reburial in ShechemComment

New Riddleblog Publication -- "The Seventy Weeks of Daniel: Daniel 9:24-27"

My exposition of the famous "Seventy-Weeks" prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27) begins in what is perhaps a surprising place–the Gospel of Matthew with Jesus giving his so-called "Olivet Discourse." The discourse is so named because Jesus and this disciples were sitting on the Mount of Olives, looking across the Kidron Valley at the magnificent Jerusalem temple, restored to its original grandeur by King Herod. Jesus uses this occasion to predict the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, as well as discuss the end of the age. When passing the temple earlier that day, his disciples asked him a question about the end of the age and what would happen to this great building. Jesus told them, “you see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2). The magnificent second temple will be completely destroyed–again.

Jesus is predicting something unthinkable to a Jew of that day, since the Jewish people had endured this terrible fate once already. This time, Jesus implies, the destruction of the temple will be final. While predicting the destruction of the temple and teaching his disciples about the end of age, Jesus repeatedly appeals to the prophet Daniel. So it is here we begin our exposition of the "Seventy Weeks" prophecy of Daniel–with Jesus, on the Mount of Olives, teaching his disciples about the time of the end, all the while quoting from or alluding to Daniel’s prophecies. By considering how Jesus understood the Book of Daniel, and then spoke of his own role in fulfilling key portions of Daniel’s prophecies, we gain the proper perspective to interpret Daniel’s "Seventy Weeks" prophecy correctly.

You can read the rest of the essay here: "The Seventy Weeks of Daniel: Daniel 9:24-27"

The Arsonsist Within -- Our Tongue

In the third chapter of the Book of James, the brother of our Lord has much to say about the power of the tongue, and the damage we can do to others through our speech. The tongue might seem small (in comparison to the rest of our bodies), but like a horse’s bridle, or a ship’s rudder, James warns us not to let the tongue’s small size fool us in regard to its power. As James says in verse 5, “the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” James goes on to lament, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

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The Book of Galatians -- Episode One: "An Introduction to the Book of Galatians"

The First Episode in The Blessed Hope Podcast Series on Galatians Has Been Posted

To Listen to the podcast, and check out the show notes, follow the link below

An Exposition of Article Nine of the Belgic Confession -- Biblical Evidence for the Doctrine of the Trinity

In a culture such as ours, which is characterized by religious pluralism and a “god” with only one attribute (“niceness”), it is vital that we believe the correct things about God. We must confess these doctrines before the unbelieving world around us. We do this so as to see people come to faith in the one true God, who reveals himself as three distinct persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But we also confess our belief in the Triune God as a testimony against those who tell us that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God, but each in their own way.

Article Nine of the confession, sets forth some of the more salient biblical evidence for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In this regard Article Nine presupposes the explanation of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity set forth in Article Eight. As Reformed Christians, we are also “catholic” Christians–not “Roman Catholic” –in the sense that we believe and confess along with the entire Christian church that there is one true God, who is revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do not believe and confess that there are three Gods. We believe and confess that there is but one God who reveals himself as three distinct persons.

To read the rest of this article, click here: We Believe It On the Ground of the Word of God

"Children in the Hands of the Arminians" -- B. B. Warfield on the Salvation and Proper Nuture of Christian Children

Some of B. B. Warfield's book reviews are published in his collected works, while many are not. There are a number of gems from the "Lion of Princeton" that remain hidden away in obscure journals and publications. One of these gems is Warfield's "Review" of The Child as God's Child, by Rev. Charles W. Rishell, Ph. D., Professor of Historical Theology in Boston University School of Theology. New York: Eaton & Mains. Cincinnati: Jennings & Graham (1904).

Warfield's review of Rishell's book was originally published in vol. xvii of the Union Seminary Magazine, 1904. Warfield entitled his review, "Children in the Hands of the Arminians. Here’s an excerpt

The children certainly must be a source of gravest concern to a consistently Arminian reasoner. The fundamental principle of Arminianism is that salvation hangs upon a free, intelligent choice of the individual will; that salvation is, in fact, the result of the acceptance of God by man, rather than of the acceptance of man by God. The logic of this principle involves in hopeless ruin all who, by reason of tenderness of years, are incapable of making such a choice. On this teaching, all those who die in infancy should perish, while those who survive the years of immaturity might just as well be left to themselves until they arrive at the age of intelligent option.

To read the entire review, follow the link below

A Benefit of the Gospel — Peace of Conscience

Many of us take for granted what a wonderful gift it is from God to place our heads on the pillow at night and know deep down inside that it is well with our souls— “peace like a river.” But there are times when our minds are much noisier, and we cannot turn them off when we try to sleep. At times, life’s troubles seem like they will overwhelm us. Then, there are those frightening moments when doubt comes rushing in like a flood. Is Christianity true? Are the sacrifices we must make associated with following Jesus worth the effort? We may even question whether or not we are Christ’s, or if we ever were. Worst of all, we may truly fear that we may have done something which will cause Christ to cast us away.

The good news for our troubled consciences is that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ for us on Calvary’s cross (the message of the gospel) it is always well with our souls, whether or not we can successfully turn off our noisy minds. Our standing with God does not in any sense depend upon whether or not we can sleep peacefully. But it sure helps us turn off our minds by considering the benefits of Christ—his obedient life, his sacrificial death, his victory over the grave—which are the basis for our salvation. These things are always secure. Yet, one of the most difficult struggles of the Christian life is our ability (or lack thereof) to fully grasp these benefits and then live in the light of the comfort which they bring us.

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The Blessed Hope Podcast The Premier Episode

The Introductory Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast — Episode 00

Follow the Link Below to Listen and/or Download

The Blessed Hope Podcast Launching Soon!

The Blessed Hope Podcast will launch soon! Just a couple of technical matters remain to wrap up, and then we are off and running.

Meanwhile, lots of stuff and updates added to the Riddleblog—especially in the “Book Reviews and Recommended Reading” section. More updates to come!

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerApril 12, 2021Premier Episode Comments

I Was on the Distilling Theology Podcast Discussing Amillennialism

I was recently a guest on the Distilling Theology Podcast, talking about amillennialism.

To listen to our discussion, go here: The Distilling Theology Podcast -- Episode 46: Amillennialism

AmillennialismKim RiddlebargerApril 9, 2021Distilling Theology, Amillennialism

The den Dulk Lectures at Westminster Seminary California

An honor and a privilege . . . For more information and links to live streaming, go here: 2021 den Dulk Lectures

An Exposition of Article Eight of the Belgic Confession

It is common to hear people say that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God–the so-called “Abrahamic Faiths.” The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike those who worship Allah, or those Jews who claim to worship the God of Abraham, Christians worship the true and living God, who reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Often it has been said that Christianity’s most distinctive doctrine is that of the Holy Trinity. Even though in many ways the doctrine of the Trinity is beyond our full comprehension, nevertheless we do as the Athanasian Creed exhorts us to do–we worship the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. We do so because this is how God reveals himself to us in his word, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one true God.

To read the rest of this article, click here: Belgic Confession Article Eight -- The Trinity

Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerMarch 30, 2021Trinity, Christian Creeds

"For the Sake of the Gospel" -- Paul's Apologetic Speeches in the Book of Acts

I am one of the first people to acknowledge that the contemporary debate over apologetic methodology between the “evidentialists” and the “presuppositionalists,” however unpleasant, nevertheless can be a vital and healthy exercise. It is very important to have a biblically based and carefully honed apologetic methodology in place before confronting the learned paganism of our age. In those instances when this is the goal of the evidentialist-presuppositionalist debate, it ought to be greatly encouraged.

I am perplexed, however, that the parties to this in-house debate spend little time analyzing the Apostle Paul’s apologetic speeches in the Book of Acts. It is here, in Luke’s record of the ever-extending reign of the Risen and Exalted Christ, that we are given a clear picture of how the Apostle Paul sought both to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and defend the Christian truth claim, and this not only in the synagogues of the major cities of Greece and Asia Minor—before Jews and “God-fearing” Gentile proselytes—but also before magistrates as well as in the marketplaces of those Roman and Greek cities where little or nothing was known of the God of Israel and the inspired texts of the Old Testament.

To read “For the Sake of the Gospel” — click here

Riddleblog PublicationKim RiddlebargerMarch 22, 2021Paul's Apologetic, Mars Hill, Apologetic Speeches in ActsComment

"Words to Die By"

Throughout my time as a pastor, people often asked me, “why do you talk about death so often?” My response usually took them by surprise. “Some day I may have to bury you, or someone you know and love. I am doing my grief counseling now, before the death comes.”

Although many people expect their pastor to be a wise counselor, problem solver, motivator, dynamic leader, or even a skilled teacher (all good things), Scripture assigns to the pastor the role of a shepherd of souls–or more precisely, an under-shepherd of Christ’s flock (1 Peter 5:2-4; Acts 20:28-29). In this role, the pastor’s primary job is to prepare people for death. This entails making sure that those whom God has entrusted to our care regularly hear the promises of the gospel, so that they live joyfully and confidently in light of eternity to come. These promises need to understood well before a crisis comes, because it is difficult, if not impossible, to learn these promises (or even cling to them) when people are griped by fear or wracked with pain.

To read the rest of this article, follow the link below

Coming Soon! The Blessed Hope Podcast

I have been thinking about doing a podcast for some time, and have decided to go ahead. I hope to launch the Blessed Hope at some point after Easter, tentatively in mid-April (about a month out).

The Blessed Hope introductory episode will discuss the topics I’ll be covering, my goals and hopes for the podcast, as well as laying out my tentative schedule. There will be show notes accompanying each episode, with lots of bibliography, and a format to ask questions which I hope to answer in subsequent podcasts.

I’d be grateful, if you’d give the podcast a listen once it launches, and if you find it of value, spread the word! Watch for updates in the weeks ahead.

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerMarch 12, 2021Blessed Hope Podcast

An Exposition of Article Seven of the Belgic Confession -- The Sufficiency of Scripture

Virtually every pseudo-Christian cult and false religion is founded upon the following premise: “Of course, we believe the Bible. But . . . we have additional holy books that no one else has. We receive new revelations from God which you do not have. We have sacred tradition in addition to the Bible. We have an inspired prophet or teacher who interprets the Bible correctly unlike everyone else.” The essence of false religion is this: We believe in the Bible, plus, we have an additional religious authority which corrects or explains what the Bible really teaches, or else supplements what the Bible supposedly leaves out.

Article Seven of the Belgic Confession deals with the sufficiency of Holy Scripture. While this article comes at the end of that section of our confession which deals with sola Scriptura (Articles Three-Seven), in effect, Article Seven sets out the meaning of the sufficiency of Scripture, and spells out the ramifications of what it means when we as Reformed Christians believe and confess the inspiration, authority, and canonicity of Holy Scripture, God’s word written.

To read the rest, Article Seven -- The Sufficiency of Scripture

"If My People"

It is common to hear Christians claim that America is a “Christian nation.” What, exactly, does that mean? One thing it does not mean is that America has a divinely established national covenant with God similar to God’s covenant with Israel.

Because our Lord’s promise of divine protection and deliverance is given to the church (Matthew 16:18), the temptation is ever-present for Christians to mistakenly assume that our Lord’s promise extends beyond the church to that nation in which they live. Support for such divine protection is found by an appeal to 2 Chronicles 7:14 — “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The claim that “God is on our side” usually surfaces when politically active American evangelicals see themselves in another skirmish in the ongoing culture war–contending with secular-progressives for the soul of the nation in a Manichean struggle between good and evil. In the heat of battle, Christians invoke covenant promises made by God to national Israel, mistakenly assuming these promises apply to the United States because the United States is a “Christian nation,” and therefore like ancient Israel, allowing appeal to God’s promise of protection and eventual victory upon the condition, “if my people humble themselves.”

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The Book of Revelation – A Surprisingly Practical Book

The Book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible and completes the New Testament canon. This easily overlooked fact directs us to view the Book of Revelation as one of the most practical and important of all the New Testament epistles. John’s apocalyptic vision is Jesus Christ’s final word to his church until he returns.

Likely written near the end of the first century, Revelation comes in the form of a circular letter addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor (chapter 2-3). The order of Jesus’s prophetic word of encouragement and rebuke to each of these seven churches mentioned follows the postal route from Ephesus to Laodicea reminding us of the both the letter’s purpose and its original audience.

The Christians in these churches lived in an empire that was openly hostile to all who proclaimed that Jesus is Lord, not Caesar. This guaranteed a wary eye from Roman officials who often, but mistakenly, saw Christians as insurrectionists. These Christians lived in the midst of a pagan culture which worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator. It was an age of bizarre rituals, magic, and sacrifices. Christians also faced the ire of those Jews living in the area who saw Christians as threat because so many of their fellow Jews had become followers of Jesus. This book is written to them, surely, but also to the people of God across the ages. There is no book quite like it in all the Bible.

To read the rest of the article, follow the link below

Amillennialism, eschatologyKim RiddlebargerMarch 1, 2021Eschatology, Book of Revelation

An Exposition of Articles Four and Six of the Belgic Confession -- "These Holy Books"

The theological equivalent of the age-old question, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is the question, “which comes first, the church or the canon of Scripture?” This was a pressing issue when the Belgic Confession was written, and it remains a pressing issue today. Does the authority of the church precede the authority of Scripture? Does the church give the Bible its authority and determine the extent of the canon? Or is the Holy Spirit alone fit to bear witness to those books which owe their origin to the inspiration of God? These are important questions.

As we saw in Article Three of our confession, when we speak of the inspiration of Scripture we mean that Scripture is breathed forth by God through the agency of various human writers. This is done in such a way that what the human writers produce are the very words of God. Yet this does not sublimate the author’s personality nor override the historical circumstances at the time of their writing. The very essence of Holy Scripture is that it has its origin in the will of God, not in the will of men. Because God breathes-forth Holy Scripture, the Bible comes to us with the full authority of its divine author. In the Bible, God speaks to us in words and sentences, revealing to us his will (the law), as well as revealing to us how he saves sinners from the guilt and power of sin through the person and work of Jesus Christ (the gospel). This is why Scripture alone is suitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). This is why we base what we believe and confess solely upon God’s word, and not upon mere human opinion or religious experience.

To read the rest of this article, An Exposition of Articles Four and Six of the Belgic Confession