Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Literal or Poetic?

Dr. Couch, I understand that some take Matthew 27:51-53 as poetic and not as a literal statement. They say the holy ones who came out of the grave was just a poetic idea and not to be taken literally.

ANSWER: Yes, I heard that this was true. Some of the most respected Bible teachers have gone this way. This is a crack in the wall that shows a sure sign of liberalism. I understand that one of the key professors at Liberty (where Dr. Lacy Couch graduated with her MA) now take that position. And, some teachers at dear old Wheaton (where I received my MA) also now take that view.

Schools are crumbling doctrinally speaking to my amazement! But this is the way liberalism has always won the day, by creeping in to good schools. I do not know how they can take that position since the same thing happened to Lazarus in John 11. Lazarus and the saints in Matthew 27 had clearly died. One of the men who take this "poetic" view had written for me in one of my books but that will never happen again. I will not allow one who changes such an important view to write for me again.

By the way I hear horror stories as to how Liberty has changed. There is no longer a dress code and the school is riding on sports, sports, and more sports in order to attract students and money, money, money! It is now virtually a secular university. It has departed from its Christian stance and even has driven off many good teachers from its staff.

The Bible department is drying up like a prune. Many of the students now attending do not know that it has a Christian base to it, and, it virtually does not!

Satan is winning the war of apostasy. We should not be surprised. Paul says that in the last days apostasy will come up before us and destroy so many Christian institutions.

Thanks for asking.
--Dr. Mal Couch (3/12)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Revelation 11

Dr. Couch, what is going on in Revelation 11?

ANSWER: To measure the temple means that God is about to do something with it. There will be a rebuilt temple in the messianic kingdom when Christ returns. This measuring is telling us that the Lord is going to restore the activity in the temple during that period.

The second half of the tribulation is described with the "forty-two months" as mentioned in v. 2. The tribulation lasts seven years. The two witnesses are given authority to testify by doing incredible things on the earth. The entire world apparently will see those things. When the two witnesses are killed the whole world sees their dead bodies. See verse 9. This would have to be by television.
Two witnesses are important because the Old Testament speaks of the necessity of two witnesses in order to confirm a testimony. See Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Num. 35:30.
You mentioned the fact that there are many views about chapter 11 but more than likely they do not take the Bible literally. By taking it literally, we come to the right answers.

The "kingdom of the world" would be the antichrist's kingdom mentioned in Dan. 7:23. Christ's kingdom will replace it when He comes back.

Don't listen or read the covenant guys. Only premillennialists and dispensationalists take the Bible at fact value. The others cannot be trusted. Thanks for asking. --Dr. Mal Couch (3/12)