Forerunner: Preparing Christians for the Kingdom of God



Signs of the End? (July-August 2017)

July-August 2017
Volume 26, Number 4


What are we to think about eclipses, increasing natural disasters, and worsening times? Do they really foretell the imminent return of Jesus Christ to the earth? Our Savior Himself gave us prophetic signs, both in His Olivet Prophecy and the book of Revelation, to warn us when the time of His coming drew near, but He also warns us to take care that no one deceives us about these things. (iStockphoto)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh
Leadership and Covenants (Part Ten)

Christians living at the time of the end would do well to consider the character and behavior of Noah, a paragon of virtue and devotion to God. John Ritenbaugh explains that God and Noah worked side by side to deliver the small remnant of humanity through the waters of the Flood, God supplying the sanctification and grace and Noah obeying in faith. This is the kind of relationship God desires with us.

Ready Answer
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Four)

by David C. Grabbe

Many in God's church have believed that humanity cannot be "at one" with God until Satan has been bound at the beginning of the Millennium. This misunderstanding, David Grabbe contends, has come about due to a general failure to grasp significant truths about the completed atoning work of Jesus Christ, something that Satan has no part in.

Prophecy Watch
The End Is Not Yet

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Every Christian longs for the return of Jesus Christ, and we search for fulfillments of the signs signaling that wonderful prophetic event. The seemingly rapid increase in natural disasters and heavenly spectacles can excite us to a fever pitch. Richard Ritenbaugh cautions that we need make sure that our understanding and interpretation of such signs align with what the Bible says about them.

WorldWatch
Over-Medicated

by Joseph B. Baity

America is a nation hooked on pharmaceutical drugs, consuming half of the world's production of such medicines and pain relievers. It is so dire that the U.S. president has declared the country in the midst of a prescription-drug crisis. Joseph Baity provides the facts and figures proving that America needs deep reforms in this area of healthcare—and soon.

Bible Study
Does Luke 9:
50 Contradict Luke 11:23?

by Martin G. Collins

So, some say, which is it? "He that is not against us is on our side" or "He who is not with Me is against Me"? Martin Collins examines this seeming biblical contradiction, showing that the different audiences Christ addressed and the context of each statement provide a satisfying answer, removing any perceived conflict.