Forerunner: Preparing Christians for the Kingdom of God



Coming in the Clouds (November-December 2017)

November-December 2017
Volume 26, Number 6


Every Christian is eagerly waiting for the return of Christ in great power and glory. In several passages, Scripture describes just how He will come back to earth, and they consistently include the detail that His return will be accompanied by clouds. While many biblical scholars ignore this common detail, it contains significant symbolic meaning and teaching on the character of our soon-coming King of kings. (Alamy Images)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh
Why Hebrews Was Written (Part One)

With the giving of the New Covenant to God's called and chosen people, the church, problems arose among both Jewish and Gentile converts. God inspired the writing of the epistle to the Hebrews to answer the difficult questions church members were struggling with during the tumultuous first decades of the church. John Ritenbaugh begins to unravel the reasons early Christians needed the book of Hebrews.

Ready Answer
The Nature of God— What's Love Got To Do With It?

by Joseph B. Baity

Christians have been known to toss about the word "love" with seeming abandon, quoting verses from Jesus' lips or the apostle John's pen as if they were talismans that can solve all problems. Joseph Baity, however, calls their bluff, suggesting that culture has so confused the common understanding of love that most people do not know what true, godly love is.

Prophecy Watch
'Behold, He is Coming with Clouds'

by David C. Grabbe

Jesus Himself instructs us to live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4), advice that is also useful when we study the Bible. Most of the passages that describe Christ's return to earth in power and glory at the end of the age contain the same detail: that He will come in, on, or with clouds. David Grabbe provides biblical background to help us understand why this detail is significant.

WorldWatch
The Politicization of Motherhood (Part One)

by Mike Ford

Feminism has been growing in strength through Western culture for more than a century, leaving its despoiling mark on the family, the workplace, and society in general. Mike Ford, commenting on research done by author Erica Komisar, explains that the facts indicate that children - and society as a whole - function better when mothers fulfill the role of nurturers in the home.

Bible Study
The Miracles of Jesus Christ:
A Second Large Catch of Fish (Part Two)

by Martin G. Collins

Both Luke (Luke 5:1-11) and John (John 21:1-14) record miracles in which Jesus helps His disciples catch a great many fish in their nets. Dissecting these miracles, Martin Collins finds that they show the growth of the disciples, whom Jesus was preparing for their ministries all along.