Zechariah 14:4 is used by many groups to picture the return of Jesus to this earth. The term Lord is used to represent Jesus in the context. Yet, "Lord" is used literally thousands of other times in Scripture (including New Testament quotes from the Old) in reference to the Almighty God, whom Jesus said was His Father. Can you explain?

The name Lord, or Yahweh, applies to God the Father throughout the Bible. But this name, like all other divine names and titles, is also used in reference to the second Person of the Godhead the One who became Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, He is often called the "Angel of the Lord." The term angel simply means "messenger," and can refer to created spirit beings, to human messengers, or to the divine manifestations mentioned frequently in the Old Testament.

       The "Angel of the Lord" who appeared to Hagar is called "the Lord who spoke to her" and "the-God-Who-Sees" (Genesis 16:713). Jacob equated "the God who has fed me all my life" with "the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil" (Genesis 48:15,16). The "Angel of the Lord" who appeared to Moses in the burning bush identified Himself as "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," and said His name is "I am Who I am" (Exodus 3:2,6,14).

       These are just a few of the many scriptural examples showing that the term Lord, or Yahweh, can be used in reference to the Almighty God who dwells in heaven as well as to the Angel (Messenger) who appears on earth and speaks on His behalf.

       In Zechariah 12:8, "God" is synonymous with "the Angel of the Lord." This, along with the examples above, sheds light on Zechariah's description of the "Lord" who "will go forth and fight," and whose "feet will stand on the Mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:3,4). He is none other than the divine Messenger who always appears, speaks, and acts on behalf of the Heavenly Father. He is the Second Person of the Godhead, the divine Logos ("Word") who "was with God" and "was God" (John 1:1). He is Jesus Christ!

Some claim that the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-12) indicates that 50 percent of the true church in the end-time will be spiritually asleep and in danger of losing the Holy Spirit. Is this the meaning of the parable?

No, it is not. Let's read the parable in its entirety: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all [including the "wise" virgins] slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'"

       A parable is a story designed to make a point. It is not necessary to assume that each element of the story has a hidden meaning. In the parable of the ten virgins, it is not necessaryor even desirableto attach meanings to every element in the story. We need not look for hidden meanings in the lamps, or in the oil, or in the slumbering and sleeping of the virgins.

       Some have argued that the oil represents the Holy Spirit, while others have argued that it represents good deeds. It need not represent either. It should be seen as merely an element in the story showing that the foolish virgins were unprepared for the unexpected delay of the bridegroom.

       To avoid foolish and unnecessary interpretations, the following points should be considered:

       First, all the virgins, including the wise ones, slumbered and slept as they awaited the bridegroom. If the virgins represent the entire end-time church, and if their slumber symbolizes spiritual lethargy, then 100 percent of the church will "sleep" right up to the time of Christ's coming. Obviously, if the virgins' slumber symbolizes spiritual lethargy, then there would be no wise virgins! All ten would be foolish!

       Second, since the Scriptures do not speak of "running out" of, or "running low" on, the Holy Spirit; and since the Holy Spirit is a gift that cannot be bought (Acts 8:18-20), it is extremely unlikely that the oil in this parable represents the Holy Spirit. There is no rule stating that oil must always symbolize the Spirit.

       Third, if the parable is a prophecy designed to show that a full 50 percent of the end-time church will fall away and be denied entrance into the Kingdom at the Second Coming, then what happened to free-moral agency? Has the future been predetermined? Is it impossible for 70, 80, or 90 percent of the end-time church to faithfully endure to the end? Since all true Christians are given full assurance that God will provide everything they need to successfully fulfill their calling (Romans 8:31-39; 1 Corinthians 10:13), it is unthinkable that Christ would predict a 50 percent failure rate for the church of the last days.

       The best rule to follow in studying a parable is this: Look for the main point of the parable, and don't try to read additional meanings into it. In the parable of the ten virgins, the main point is abundantly clear: Be prepared always, even in the event of an unexpected delay. As with the preceding parables, the theme is preparedness for the coming of the Son of Man (cf. Matthew 24:43-51). Jesus put it this way: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matthew 25:13).

If the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 2,3) were seven actual churches which existed at the time John wrote the book of Revelation, how do you explain the fact that Christ warned the churches at Ephesus, Pergamos, and Sardis that He would come upon them quickly or "as a thief" unless they repented? Didn't Christ know that He would not return at that time? If so, shouldn't we view the seven churches as end-time churches?

To the church at Ephesus, Christ said, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its placeunless you repent" (Revelation 2:5). To the church in Pergamos, Christ warned, "Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them [the heretical Nicolaitans] with the sword of My mouth" (verse 16). And to the church at Sardis, Christ said, "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you" (Revelation 3:3).

       Christ's repeated warnings about coming quickly have led some to believe that the seven churches are really seven end-time assemblies, but this belief is based on the assumption that the "coming" Christ speaks of in the above passages is the Second Coming.

       In this section of Revelation, Christ "walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands," which are identified as the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 2:1; 1:20; 1:4). He is not portrayed as being in heaven preparing to return and establish His Kingdom, so His "coming" in judgment against one of the seven churches should not be seen as His descent from heaven, but simply as His walking over to one of the "lampstands" to deal with the problem.

In Hosea 11:1, God refers to the nation of Israel as His "son" whom He called "out of Egypt." Yet, Matthew applies this verse to an event in the life of Jesus. A minister recently cited this example of prophetic fulfillment as proof that it is a mistake to take the prophecies of the Old Testament literally. He said that without the New Testament, no one would have ever understood the real meaning of Hosea 11:1, and that the real meaning of many Old Testament prophecies (as revealed by Christ and the apostles) "blows the doors off" the literal interpretation. What do you have to say about this?

Hosea 11:1 states, "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son." The context leaves no doubt that this verse is speaking of the nation of Israel (see verse 2, for example), not of a single individual. Here, Israel is referred to metaphorically as God's "son." This type of language is used elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures, and is common to many cultures, including our own. For instance, we often speak of America with terms such as she and her, as if the nation were a woman.

       Matthew might seem to say that Hosea 11:1 really means something else (see Matthew 2:13-15), but a careful examination of the two accounts reveals that Matthew's use of the verse is completely agreeable with the context within which the verse appears. The minister who points to Matthew's use of Hosea as an example of how the "real" meaning "blows the doors off" the literal interpretation is clearly in error! The real meaning of the passage lies in the passage itself. It simply says that God called Israel out of Egypta fact of history. Matthew's use of the verse does not in any way change its original meaning.

       It is important to understand that Matthew is not using the verse as a proof text, but as a pointer to the theme of his source's larger context: God's compassion for the object of His love (i.e., His "Son," whether the multiple seed of Abraham or the single Seed), especially in times of stress, oppression, and opposition.

       Notice that God's love toward His Son is expressed in His sending Him (with Joseph and Mary) into Egypt. Yet, the prophet said God had called His son out of Egypt. How could Christ's going into Egypt fulfill a statement about being called out of Egypt? Obviously, Matthew was not trying to reveal the "real" meaning of Hoseaor showing how the "real" meaning "blows the doors off" the literal meaningbut was simply pointing to the theme, or principle, underlying Hosea's comments.

       It is certainly true that many prophecies and statements from the Old Testament carry meanings deeper than were recognized by those who first received them. However, the deeper meanings do not cancel the original, literal meanings. If they did, then we can only conclude that Old Testament prophecies and promises do not mean what they say. As Old Testament scholar Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., rightly notes: "To treat the older Testament merely as a vessel that has little or no content until the interpreter imports Christian meaning from NT texts is demeaning to both the older revelation of God and to those who first heard what they thought was the abiding word of God" (The Uses of the Old Testament in the New, Moody Press, Chicago, 1985, p. 145).

Some scholars claim that the "suffering servant" of Isaiah 53 is the nation of Israel personified. The griefs and sorrows the servant bears refer to the severe persecutions the Jewish people have had to endure through the centuries, the Holocaust being the most recent and perhaps most notable example. Proof that Isaiah's "servant" passages refer to the nation of Israel, not the Messiah, is found in Isaiah 41:8, 44:1, and 49:3, where the servant is called "Israel." Why do you along with many other Christians believe that the servant passages of the book of Isaiah apply to the Messiah?

There can be no doubt that passages such as Isaiah 41:8,9, Isaiah 42:18-22, and Isaiah 44:21,22 speak of the nation of Israel. Isaiah 42:1822 describes the servant as blind and deaf, "a people plundered and despoiled," "trapped in caves," and "hidden away in prisons." This is a description of backslidden Israel, not the righteous Messiah.

       Yet, when we examine all of Isaiah's servant passages, a poetic portrayal of the ideal Israel emerges. Ideal Israel is not the backslidden nation of the past, but is the obedient nation of the future Messianic reign. In that day, the Messiah will gather the scattered descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob into their own land, and God will establish His covenant with them (Jeremiah 31:31; 33:14-16). The reconstituted nation of Israel, under the Messiah's reign, will become the model nation for all the nations of the world (Isaiah 2:24).

       It is important to understand that in Scripture a kingdom is sometimes described as having the characteristics of its king. The "head of gold" of Nebuchadnezzar's dream-image was at once the king of Babylon and the Babylonian kingdom (Daniel 2:31-40). Similarly, descriptions of the ideal Israel, as portrayed in the servant passages, are also descriptions of the nation's ultimate King and representative Headthe Messiah. With this in mind, it is not difficult to see the transition from kingdom to King, from the nation to the nation's representative Head, in Isaiah's servant passages.

       Notice, for example, Isaiah 42:17: "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law. Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk in it, I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, And those who dwell in darkness from the prison" (New American Standard Bible).

       Notice that the Servant is appointed as "a covenant to the people," showing that He is distinct from the people. The people are the people of Israel, so the Servant who fulfills the covenant promises cannot be a mere personification of the nation. He must be the Messiah, the Davidic King who will bring the people into their own land and lead them to repentance and obedience.

       The above passage also speaks of the Messiah's two ministries. The first is an unassuming ministry in which the Servant does not cry out or make His voice heard in the street. This was fulfilled in Jesus Christ's first coming (compare Matthew 12:14-21). In His second ministry the Servant establishes justice in the earth and declares His law to the coastlands. This aspect of the Servant's mission will be accomplished during Christ's millennial reign.

       The fact that the Servant is called "Israel" does not necessarily mean that the nation of Israel is being addressed. The name Israel was given to (1) Jacob, the father of the men for whom the tribes of Israel were named, and (2) the tribes collectively. It is appropriate, then, that the nation's representative Head also be called "Israel." The name itself means "he prevails with God," and was given to Jacob because God allowed the patriarch to overcome Him in a wrestling bout (see Genesis 32:24-28). Jesus Christ is the overcomer par excellence! (See Revelation 3:21; 5:5; 14:14.) How appropriate that He should be called by a name that means "overcomer."

       In Isaiah 49:3, the Servant is called "Israel." We know that this passage is speaking of the Messiah because Israel the Servant is clearly distinct from Israel the nation. The Servant's mission is to "bring Jacob back to Him [God], in order that Israel [the nation] might be gathered to Him" (verse 5), to "raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel" (verse 6). It would make no sense whatsoever to say that God formed the nation of Israel in order to bring the nation of Israel back to Him. But it makes perfect sense to say that the mission of Israel the Servant is to bring Israel the nation back to God.

       Isaiah 53 is not a personified description of a nation. It is a poetic description, a prophecy, of the suffering Servant of God, the Messiah, who would suffer and lay down His life for our transgressions. He is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Revelation 20:2 says that the devil was bound and prevented from deceiving the nations for 1000 years. You teach that this event has not yet occurred. But doesn't the Bible teach that the devil was bound in the time of Christ and the apostles? See Luke 10:1719; John 12:31; and Colossians 2:15.

The scriptures you cite refer to Christ's victory over Satan and the demonic realm, but none of them suggest that the devil has no more power to deceive the nations. Many New Testament passages show that the devil was by no means bound and shut away during the time of Christ.

       Peter warned, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world" (1 Peter 5:8,9, NASB throughout answer).

       Paul admonished, "Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).

       Paul spoke of the end-time "lawless one" whose coming "is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish" (2 Thessalonians 2:9,10).

       The book of Revelation shows Satan active throughout Christian history, from the birth of Christ to the Second Coming (see Revelation 12, for example). The devil and his demonic cohorts not only attempt to destroy God's people, but exert a powerful and deceptive influence in the non Christian world (Revelation 2:10; 16:13,14).

       These are but a few of the many New Testament passages which show plainly that Satan the devil is alive and well on planet earth. Yet, the centuries-old belief that the binding of Satan occurred before the middle of the first century A.D. is still held by some churches.

       Some contend that Revelation 20:13 simply means that the devil's influence was to some extent limited following the death and resurrection of Christ. Unfortunately, the description given in these verses does not fit the "limited influence" or "partly bound devil" scenario. Notice:

       "And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time."

       Notice several points: First, the devil is bound with a great chain. Second, he is thrown into the abyss, or "bottomless pit." Third, the entrance to the abyss is shut and sealed.

       Does that sound like the half-bound devil of the "limited influence" theory? Hardly! This is clearly a description of total, out-of-sight/out-of-mind binding! Satan is out of the picturecompletely!

       Obviously, this has not yet happened. It will happen shortly after the Second Coming of Christ and just before the start of the Millennium, or 1000-year reign of Christ.

       The events of Chapter 20the binding of Satan, the millennial reign, and the White Throne Judgmentfollow the events of Chapter 19 chronologically. The Second Coming is described in Chapter 19. Any eschatological scheme that places the binding of Satan before the return of Christ must either deny that the events of these two chapters are in chronological sequence or deny that Chapter 19 depicts the Second Coming.

       The "limited influence" theory simply does not stand on firm ground. Nor does any other theory which places the binding of Satan in the past.

Unlike many modern dispensationalists as well as some of the other churches historically related to your church, you do not hold to the belief that the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 represent seven church eras. Since the book of Revelation is a book of prophecy, doesn't it seem likely that chapters 2 and 3 are prophetic descriptions of seven church eras?

If the messages to the churches of Revelation 2 and 3 are prophetic, then it seems that all seven would most likely portray the condition of the church during the time of the endsince the book of Revelation is primarily about future conditions and events associated with and including the Day of the Lord. However, since the book of Revelation was for the purpose of providing encouragement and admonition for God's people throughout the ages, we should pay careful attention to what Christ has to say to each of the seven churches, and realize that the admonitions as well as the promises are for all of us.

       If the seven churches represent seven church eras, then the burden of proof rests upon the shoulders of those who hold this theory. The book of Revelation itself does not present them as eras, and gives us a good reason for believing that they are not.

       It is important to realize that the churches are not presented as symbols. Rather, they are the objects of symbols, and should therefore be accepted as seven literal churches.

       Notice: "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches" (Revelation 1:20). The seven churches are "the seven churches which are in Asia" (verse 4).

       Jesus Christ, who reveals the meaning of His own symbols, says that the seven lampstands are the seven churches of Asia. Would we not be most foolish to dogmatically assert that the seven lampstands are something other than seven literal churches in Asia?

       When Christ reveals the meaning of a symbol, we should be cautious about considering additional meanings.

The 144,000 are called "firstfruits." Are they the sum total of the firstfruits? Are they the only ones that truly have God's Holy Spirit and endured until the end?

The 144,000 are called "firstfruits" in Revelation 14: "These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God" (verses 4,5).

       The various descriptions depict the righteousness of these saints. They stand upon and live by the truth. They recognize and reject the defilements of false religion. They have placed their faith in Christ, and follow Him in every aspect of their lives.

       The 144,00 are called "firstfruits" because they are a part of the spiritual harvest of firstfruits, or first to enter the Kingdom of God. From the description in Chapter 7, it is clear that the 144,000 are only a part of the firstfruits harvest.

       John wrote, "After these things [that is, after seeing the 144,000 from "all the tribes of the children of Israel," verse 4] I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number; of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice. saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb'" (verses 9,10).

       Like the 144,000 Israelites, this great multitude from all nations is "before the throne of God" (verse 15). These "are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (verse 14).

       Both groups, the 144,000 and the great multitude, make their appearance after the Great Tribulation and just before the Day of the Lord (compare verse 15 with verses 13). The entire company is converted during, and as a result of, the Great Tribulation. So, no, the 144,000 are not the only ones who will have or receive the Holy Spirit during the last days of this age.