Monthly Archives: July 2015

Revelation: The Prelude

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Don Merritt

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,  and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the … Continue reading →

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Bonus Post: The Hellenistic Letter Format of the First Century

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Don Merritt

When we write a letter, we normally follow a certain culturally accepted format; we first write the name and address of the sender and recipient, then there is a greeting such as “Dear John”, followed by the body of the … Continue reading →

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Revelation: The Introduction

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Don Merritt

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony … Continue reading →

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The Structure of Revelation

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Don Merritt

As we look over the book of Revelation, one thing is quite clear; it is divided into two major sections: Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. Revelation 1:19 We know that there … Continue reading →

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A Day for Reflection

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Don Merritt

  Here we are, another Lord’s Day; what better time to pause and reflect on the amazing things that He does in our lives. For me, all I need to do is look back over the last 2 weeks to … Continue reading →

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A Note About Descriptive Language

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Don Merritt

If Revelation isn’t to be understood literally, then how is it to be understood? As I said in the last post, it is “Apocalyptic” literature; it reveals something in word pictures. This kind of descriptive language shouldn’t be all that … Continue reading →

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Our Approach to Revelation

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Don Merritt

To begin a study of a book like Revelation, we must address some fundamental questions. In this case, the most fundamental of questions is whether or not it is intended to be understood literally. If we decide it should be … Continue reading →

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Revelation: Getting Started

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Don Merritt

“OK class, can I see a show of hands please how many of you think that the book of Revelation is just about the end of the world? “Wow, almost everyone; hands down. OK, now, how many of you really … Continue reading →

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Going Home

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Don Merritt

In the weeks and months ahead, I expect to be going home after 2 years of being in another place, another town, another state. As I think about going home, images run through my mind, little pictures of things, scenes, … Continue reading →

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Epilogue to our Discussion about Church

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Don Merritt

Thoughts for the Christian blogger So often I’ve been amazed at what I see here in the Christian blogging community. In some cases, I’ve read a blogger’s posts over time and seen tremendous growth; in others I’ve noticed several bloggers … Continue reading →

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