Studies by Larry M. Wishon

Ask Of Me - Just before Jesus ascended to the Right Hand of the Father, the disciples asked Jesus a question, which seems strange to many Christians. They asked, "wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" However, for them, it was the most logical next step in the ministry of the Messiah, as they were taught in the synagogue. The response Jesus gave, seems as though He ignored their question. But in truth, He answered in the affirmative, and told them HOW He would restore the kingdom to Israel. His plan for restoring the kingdom to Israel, is the fulfillment of the promises God made to His Son, in Psalm 2:8.
-- Read Now --

New Heavens and New Earth - Isaiah 65 Context - When the Apostle John wrote of the New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 21, he was borrowing the imagery from Isaiah 65. The context of Isaiah's prophecy concerning this new heaven and new earth, is important to our understanding of the picture being presented to us. This is a chapter, from my book, Not One Stone available on Amazon.
-- Read Now --

I Will Build My Ekklesia - When Jesus said, "I will build my church", was He introducing something new, or was He following a pattern established under the Sinai Covenant? This is a chapter from my book, Creating The Israel of God available on Amazon.
-- Read Now --

Dating the Manifestion of the Messiah to Israel - There are four reliable historical and Biblical witnesses to the time when the Messiah was manifested to Israel. This study is taken from an appendix of my book on Daniel's Seventy Weeks, entitled, The Determined Time available on Amazon.
-- Read Now --

Last Things - The New Testament uses several different eschatological time frame references, such as the the end of the age and the last days. However, there is one that fails to get the attention that the previously mentioned does. This is the time frame of The Last Day. The phrase, the Last Day, is only mentioned in the Gospel of John, and with one exception, only found on the lips of Jesus. This Last Day is specifically related to the final Resurrection and the final Judgment. How do we know this? Because this is what Jesus says concerning it. -- Read Now --

The Idolatry of the Shekinah - Many present day preachers and teachers refer to the Glory of God with the word, Shekinah. They erroneously believe that they are using an ancient Hebraic word to refer to God's manifest glory. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this study, we will see that this is the name of the Talmudic Jews goddess. They worship this goddess as a means of their Kabbalistic worship of their false god, the Eyn Sof. After you hear the truth of this goddess worship, you will never want this idolatrous pagan name to cross your lips. -- Read Now --

The Days of Noah - Jesus compares the coming of the Son of man to be like the days of Noah. Fortunately for us, Jesus doesn’t leave us in the dark or guessing what He meant. He explains it very clearly. -- Read Now --

The Olivet Questions - Jesus' pronouncement of the destruction of the temple while on His way to the Mount of Olives, sparked some very pointed questions by His disciples. One of the challenges for us when reading these questions, is to read them without superimposing our own eschatology upon them. When the disciples asked those questions, they inquired into the subject with their own eschatology in mind, not ours.-- Read Now --

Luke 24:21 - A Corrected Translation - It is amazing how our Biblical perspective can hinge on the translation of one verse. Even beyond just one verse, it can turn on how just one word is translated, or in this case, mistranslated. Luke 24:21 is one of those verses. This verse is fairly accurately translated except for one word. This one word changes the meaning and focus of the whole verse, and significantly impacts the whole third day chronology.-- Read Now --

The Marring of the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 52:14, in 2 parts) - There is an aspect to the humility of Christ, that has not received much attention. That aspect is the humility He endured going from His eternal place of glory with the Father, to His place among men, as one among them. I do believe that Isaiah 52:14 deals with subject. However, the translation of this verse has undergone significant changes over the past centuries. A change that has hidden its true meaning. We seek here to recover that original meaning.-- Read Now --

The Antichrist Is Here - The figure of the Antichrist has evolved into the world's Boogey-man. Almost every generation is convinced that they can point to a man in their own time, who "fits the bill" of the Antichrist. They have made numerous movies and written books galore about this figure. In fact, the movies and books have probably influenced the world's idea of this figure, more than the Bible. Many modern historical figures have been tagged with this name, and yet none have stepped into the role. Even the Apostle John said that in his own day, there were many antichrists. In fact, it is only the Apostle John who speaks of antichrist. No other Biblical writer mentions it. So what does John say about antichrist? -- Read Now --

The Day of the Lord(in 2 parts) - Many Christians are of the opinion that there is one Day of the Lord, which happens at the end of the world. However, when honest inquiry is made, we will see there are many days, referred to as the day of the Lord. There are at least 13 mentioned, although the phrase occurs 18 times in all of Scripture. The most often mentioned day of the Lord, is the one against Israel. The last day of the Lord to occur, was in AD 70, when Jerusalem and its temple was destroyed. It is this day of the Lord that Jesus and His Apostles warned many of. .-- Read Now --

The Prophet's Tongue - The Hebrew prophets had developed their own language. When we read the words of Jesus and the Apostles, about the sun going dark, the moon not shining or turning to blood, the stars falling, and the heavens shaking, they are speaking in this prophetic language. If we read these as real cosmic events, we are missing the importance of their words. They are speaking to us in the Prophets' Tongue and Language. What is this language and how do we understand it? -- Read Now --

The Most Enbarrassing Verse in the Bible(in 4 parts) - If you could choose from the over 31,000 Bible verses, which one would you choose as the most embarrassing? The great Christian writer, CS Lewis made his choice. He chose Matt. 24:34, which says, "This generation shall not pass away, until all these things have come to pass." So why is this verse so embarrassing? Because he believed one of the things included, that was to come to pass, was the Second Coming. At least, that is how he and many others have wrongly understood it.-- Read Now --

The End of the World and The Last Days (in 4 parts) - Does the Bible describe the end of the world? That depends on how you interpret the word, world. There are three different Greek words in the NT, that are translated as world. The problem is all three mean different things. So this requires a bit of digging to answer. What does the Bible say about the Last Days? When is the Last Days? That depends on what last days we are speaking of. The Last Days of what? The world, time, human history, Israel, America? What Last Days does the Bible describe? -- Read Now --

The Time Is At Hand - John was told not to seal the sayings of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. Why? Because the "time is at hand." This phrase, at hand, has a very specific meaning in its use in Scripture. It means something or someone is near, close in either space or time, in the view of the speaker. However, there are some who push this nearness thousands of years into the future. Their eschatology demands it. They need this word for near, to mean not as close as you might think, or they turn it into meaning imminent, which it does not mean.-- Read Now --

Jesus, The Right Hand of God - Many imagine Jesus sitting on a throne, just to the right of the Father's throne. This is about as far as their idea of this can take them. The reality of the depth of this image goes far beyond any idea of spatial relationship. Jesus, at the right hand of God, goes to the very core of the Doctrine of Christ. He doesn't just sit at the right hand of God, HE IS THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. -- Read Now --

When Jesus Was Made Sin - Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin," has been the cause of grave misunderstanding. Some have taken this to mean that Jesus was made all manner of vile, destestable sin while He hung upon the cross. They have advocated that Jesus became, "gossip, child pornography, a Satan-worshipper, and a hater of God," while on the cross. Is this what Paul intended to convey? I think not. So, what did he mean by saying this? Isaiah chapter 53 holds the answer for us. -- Read Now --

When Jesus Became Poor(in 2 Parts) - Second Corinthians 8:9, has been 'put on the rack' and tortured beyond recognition by the Health and Wealth Marketeers. They have placed a meaning upon it that Paul never intended. They didn't stop there, either. They attacked its closely related passage, found in Phil. 2:5-8, and tortured it as well. This study will endeavor to rescue both of these passage, as well as its OT parallel, i.e., Isa. 52:14. These false teachers torture and pervert the true beauty expressed in these passages. -- Read Now --

Christ Our Passover, Was the Last Supper a Passover Meal? - It is a truth established from the beginning of the gospel, that Christ is called the lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. Was Christ crucified at the time of the killing of the Passover? Would it shock you if the answer was, no? Was the Last Supper He ate with His disciples, a Passover meal or something else? The overwhelming evidence points to the fact that it was indeed, a Passover meal. These are important questions, which will be addressed in greater detail inside.-- Read Now --

Sign of the Prophet, Jonah - The scribes and Pharisees demanded a sign from Jesus that He was truly the Messiah of God. He reprimanded them as "an evil and alduterous generation," for seeking a sign instead of believing the written prophecies. He told them no sign would be given them except for the Sign of the Prophet, Jonah. This sign of Jonah has several components to it. Jesus compares His experience to that of Jonah's. Although the time element of three days and three nights was an important part of this prophecy, there were other aspects of importance too. -- Read Now --

The Story of Three Criminals - When the scene of the crucifixion is viewed, the main attention goes to Jesus, and rightfully so. However, there is another interesting and worthy story to be told. It is the story of the other two criminals who were crucified with Christ that day. Did you know the Gospel of Mark gives us their back story? On that day, three insurrectionists were scheduled to be crucified. However, one of them, Barabbas, was set free. The other two were not so fortunate. How these two responded to the crucified substitute in their midst determined their destiny. It is one of the simplest and purest Gospel stories to be told. -- Read Now --

Israel as the Fig Tree - One of the necessary aspects for Premillennial Dispensationalism to work, is for the prophecy of Jesus spoken on the Mount of Olives, recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, to be understood as a far future event. One of the ways in which they make this far future application is to make what Jesus said about the fig tree sprouting its leaves, apply to a future reconstituted Israel. Therefore, the fig tree must be a representation of Israel. But is it?-- Read Now --

What Paul Learned In Athens - The Apostle Paul is considered by many to be somewhat of a Super-Apostle. He seemed to have understanding of mysteries that left other apostles scratching their heads [2 Peter 3:16]. However, this does him a great injustice. Paul faced his share of trials, persecutions and failures. What? Failures? Yes, at least one. When Paul came to Athens, it had a very deep and long-lasting lesson to teach him. One that would affect the remainder of his ministry and the Church for all time. What was this failure? Well, he failed to . . .-- Read Now --

A Change In Administration of the Ekklesia (in 6 parts) - Jesus taught His apostles the difference between the models of leadership. He warned them against the model practiced by the nations, but exemplified the model they were to practice. The model of the nations was illustrated by two characteristics, that of a hierarchy of rulers, and a lording it over those under them. This is also known as the clergy vs laity model. The model Jesus illustrated for them, was one of service and humility. However, in time, the model of the nations became the standard for the institution of the Church.

Section Titles

1. Section One - Introduction
2. Section Two - Elder, Bishop, and Pastor = One Man
3. Section Three - Rulers or Leaders?
4. Section Four - The Spirit of the Taskmaster
5. Section Five - God deals in stone, not bricks
6. Section Six - Living Stones: A Spiritual House

-- Read Now --

Kingdom Finances - We have all heard the saying, “Money makes the world go ‘round”. Actually, Angular Momentum makes the world go round. How did the First Century Church deal with the issue of money and what was their attitude toward the giving and receiving of it? We know what has become the attitude of today’s Church. Many in leadership positions love it. If you have piles of it, you are a blessed and righteous person. Hardly a Sunday will pass without hearing at least some reference to how you ought to be giving more than you are. Is this the message of the NT?-- Read Now --

Kingdom Taken Away(in 3 parts) - Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. This verse is the judgment Jesus pronounced upon the chief priests and Pharisees at the conclusion of His parable of the Wicked Husbandmen [Matt. 21:33-46]. The chief priests and elders, as teachers and leaders whom the people relied upon to lead them in the ways of God, had horribly failed in this calling. So much so, they were shutting them out from it.-- Read Now --

Synagogue of Satan(in 6 parts) - If you have ever read the book of Revelation, you’ve probably come across the phrase “the synagogue of Satan.” We have heard of the church of Satan, but we don’t hear much about the synagogue of Satan. Do not confuse the two. One overtly worships Satan, the other worships him covertly. The true Church of Jesus Christ would never knowingly give the church of Satan a place of influence. However, we have allowed the synagogue of Satan to have a rather prominent place. In some areas, it actually dictates parts of our theology. -- Read Now --

Coming of the Son of man, No Puzzle-chewing Required (in 3 parts) - The coming of the Son of man is thought by many as being equal to the Second Coming of Christ. However, when honest investigation is made, we will see that this cannot be the case for three reasons.-- Read Now --

Parousia, A Coming or Presence?(in 2 parts) - Parousia is a Greek word that has been a well kept secret from the majority of Christians. It is an important part of Christian Eschatology. It has been cloaked as the word, Coming. In the vast majority of Bible translations, parousia is translated as coming, when used in the eschatological context, even though that is not the true meaning of the word. The actual meaning of Parousia is Presence. So why is a word meaning presence translated as coming? That is a very good question, which we will presently explore.-- Read Now --

Fulfillment of Abrahamic Promises, Fulfilled in Natural Israel and In Christ(in 2 parts) - The primary argument that Dispensationalists use to advocate why modern Israel must possess all of the Palestinian land and more, is because they have never truly possessed all the land that God had promised. If you ask them what specific part of the land they have not possessed, they cannot give you an exact answer. At least, I was not able to find anyone who could state what land natural Israel had failed to possess. They just make the blanket statement that Israel hasn’t taken possession based upon their Scofield notes. -- Read Now --

The Determined Time, Fulfillment of Daniel's 70 Weeks(in 2 parts) - What if there existed a prophecy in the Old Testament, that foretold the exact period, even the year in which the long-awaited Messiah would make his appearance? Would that not be a prophecy of major importance? Would you not think that it would hold special interest for the people of Israel? Daniel chapter nine is such a prophecy. In this portion of the book of Daniel, he records for us an encounter he had with the angel Gabriel, who gives him a prophecy of Seventy sevens or heptads.-- Read Now --

Biblical Predestination, Not a heaven or hell issue - That the topic of Predestination is not a heaven or hell issue should be obvious from the Scriptures. It only speaks to the redeemed and to the position to which God has pre-determined for them. It is hoped that this will reveal the greatness and goodness of God toward His Covenant Children, instead of inciting fear and distortion of the truth.-- Read Now --

Did Jesus Go To Hell? - There is a teaching floating around certain circles, mostly among the charismatic/word of faith circles, that when Jesus died, he descended into the torments of hell, in order to complete our salvation. Some have even went so far as to say, that his death on the cross is not what gained salvation for man, but it was his torment in hell. Here is one quote by Kenneth Copeland, to the effect that it wasn't Jesus' death that brought salvation, but his torment in hell. He took this from Kenneth Hagin, who took it from E.W. Kenyon.-- Read Now --

Jesus, Our Covenant Man - As believers in Jesus, we understand that we are partakers of the New Covenant, which Jesus inaugurated with His own blood. But do we really understand how we came into this relationship. There is a common misconception, that God made this New Covenant with the Church, or with us as believers. If we look closely at what the Scriptures teach concerning this Covenant, it will be quite revealing, exactly who the Covenant is with. Throughout Biblical History, God has made many covenants with man. And all of these covenants were made with a man, which had its effect upon the whole of the people.-- Read Now --