What Restrains the Man of Sin?
(Copyright 08-28-2024) by Charles Whitaker (Charlotte, North Carolina) In II Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul mentions a force that works at least temporarily to restrain the coming of the man of sin, or, as some translations more correctly say, the lawless man.1 Many translations do a poor job on this passage, but I think J.B. Phillips’ The New […]
Peter’s Trumpets Message – on Pentecost
(Copyright 2003) by Charles Whitaker (Charlotte, North Carolina) Joel begins his second chapter by speaking of the Day of the Lord, and he ends it by speaking of the Millennium. God’s people look forward to both occasions through the Day of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles, respectively. Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in […]
The Fugitive Folk of Jacob’s Trouble
(Copyright 2023) by Charles Whitaker (Charlotte, North Carolina) Most of us understand that the various scatterings of Israelites over history are prophetic types of the scattering to occur shortly, in the time called Jacob’s Trouble. For example, the Assyrian-led scattering of the House of Israel in 722 BC is typical of the impending scattering of Israel by […]
How Does Christ Fulfill the Law?
(Copyright 2023) by Charles Whitaker (Charlotte, North Carolina) “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) We begin by observing Matthew 5:17 from a Protestant-oriented paraphrase called The Message. Jesus Christ is speaking: Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s […]
From Start to Finish
From Start to Finish (Part One)(Copyright 2021) by Charles Whitaker (Charlotte, North Carolina) Listen, Jacob. Listen, Israel—I’m the One who named you!I’m the One.I got things started and, yes, I’ll wrap them up.Earth is my work, handmade.And the skies—I made them, too, horizon to horizon.When I speak, they’re on their feet, at attention.—Isaiah 48:12-13 (The Message) At […]
Clouds
Clouds (Part One): A Really Special Cloudby Charles Whitaker (Charlotte, North Carolina) “God’s cloud led them on by day when they broke camp and set out.” (Numbers 10:34, The Voice) One of the most nuanced yet telling dichotomies in God’s Word is that of concealment and revelation. Keeping something under one’s hat is the opposite of bringing it […]
A Basket of Summer Fruit
by Charles Whitaker (Charlotte, North Carolina) “In the Good ‘Ol Summertime,” the local oldie-but-goodie radio station broadcasts Nat King Cole’s song: Give me those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,Those days of sodas and pretzels and beer.Give me those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer;You’ll wish that summer could always be here. How well these words express […]