What is the relationship between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus?

The following article was obtained from Quora.com and written by Jon Davis, American Southern Baptist.  

What is the relationship between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus?     

They are definitely related. 

So first let's talk Santa and why most people think he is just a big myth. One story I sadly remember is of my nephew. When he was three he informed us that Santa Claus wasn't real. His Neanderthal daddy told him that, (please read with a white trash accent) ”We don’t worship pagan symbols ’round here.” 

Well as the good uncle I sat my nephew down and reaffirmed to him that no, Santa Claus was not a pagan and he is indeed real.

At the very least he was indeed a real person. He actually did go by the name of Nicholas, his Greek name when he was a monk in the early Christian church around what is today Myra, Turkey. He lived in the 300′s and became famous for his great acts of charity. One story speaks of him giving dowries to three young, pious, impoverished girls so that they could be wed, and not go into other forms of lifestyle. Another speaks of him saving three wrongly prosecuted men from being put to death. For these and other reasons he was made a saint in the church. 

In his native home of Myra there is the first church dedicated to Saint Nicholas and many more have risen in Europe since the 7th century. Some historical accounts have him present at the Council of Nicaea which was convened to discuss the deity and co-eternality of Jesus as part of the Trinity–God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being co-equal. 

It is reported that as Arius asserted the heretical teaching that Jesus was less than God the Father, Nicholas became so agitated that he crossed the room and slapped Arius across the face! Not exactly the Santa we have grown to know, but from this we can assert that the real St. Nick upon whom our modern Santa Claus is based was an ardent defender of the orthodox view of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man. 

He is also considered the patron saint of children and many others, like sailors (odd combo). His uniform is also of Christian decent as it is an evolution of the canonical robes worn by later Christian cardinals.

Add to this there is also the very real incorporation of some pagan elements. In many renditions he is seen as being a naturalist, hermit or general merry man. We can see these some of the pagan gods like Bacchus, the Roman god who was basically the party god. The reindeer are also reminiscent of the Norse god Odin. 

As Christianity spread, it absorbed the ideas and heroes of the people and cultures that came with it. Ironically, the real Nicholas himself participated in the most important meeting to ensure that this sort of thing did not happen to our understanding of Jesus and God, which he did well.

How all this turned into a strange man essentially breaking into the homes of little children to give presents in return for good deeds and tasty treats and an odd name change I can only guess, but I can promise you that Santa Claus is real. So be good for goodness sake.

So the relationship is that St. Nicholas was a Christian monk who worshiped Jesus. They both practiced and taught the importance of charity and forgiveness. He believed in Jesus and fought vehemently for the early Christian church to better understand him, even though today he is one of the most misunderstood characters in all of history.

Thanks for reading!

For more answers like this, check out The Modern Christian by Jon Davis.

What is the true meaning of Christmas?

The following article was obtained from the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry website and written by Matt Slick.

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The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus who lived in Israel 2000 years ago and who died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15 1-4; 1 Peter 2:24). More specifically, when we use the word "meaning," we're talking about the purpose of his birth that Christmas is supposed to celebrate.  His purpose was to enter into the world and become one of us, that he might deliver us from our sins. Jesus is not just any man. He is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9).  He is the second person of the Trinity who, by being born of the Virgin Mary, was made under the law (Galatians 4:4) and subject to the same temptations and limitations that we are. Christmas is the celebration of the historical event of where God entered into our world so that he might display the perfection and holiness of God and that through his work of living perfectly and also dying on the cross for our sins, that all who trust in him would be saved from the righteous judgment of God.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him," (John 3:16-17).

So, Christmas is supposed to be the time of year where we celebrate the birth of Christ. But, unfortunately, it's become a commercial holiday rather than a religious one. Is mostly known as a time for businesses to make money, for people to give gifts, for children to be excited, for parties, etc. The "reason for the season" is supposed to be Jesus, not gifts, not parties, and not watching "the big game."  Of course, having celebrations, attending parties, and watching the big game are not wrong. It's just that the meaning of Christmas is supposed to be a recognition of and appreciation of the birth of the one who loves us and died for in our place.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 1:18).

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end," (Luke 1:26-33).

Jesus' birth place was prophesied in the Old Testament.

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity," (Micah 5:1-2).

Jesus' being born of a virgin was prophesied in the Old Testament.

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel," (Isaiah 7:14).

Jesus being God in flesh was prophesied in the Old Testament.

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace," (Isaiah 9:6).

"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn," (Zechariah 12:10).

Jesus would be preceded by a great prophet was prophesied in the Old Testament.

A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God," (Isaiah 40:3).

Jesus is the reason for the season. Jesus gives meaning to Christmas. Jesus who was God in flesh, perfect, pure, holy, and who died on the cross and rose from the dead, is the one who gives the true meaning to Christmas.

Adam: Father of Mankind

Adam was purported to be the first historical man to live on planet Earth. According to biblical sources, he was created by an omnipotent God from the dust of the ground nearly 6,000 years ago. This is his story ...

The Jewish View

Adam was the first human being and the progenitor of the human race. The first chapter of Bereishit (Genesis) states that God made man in the sixth day of the Creation, fashioning him in His own image and giving him dominion over the rest of creation. The etymology of the word Adam connects it with Adamah, “ground or soil,” and with Adom, “red.” This suggests that Adam was formed from red soil or clay.  The second chapter of Bereishit  tells the creation of man in more detail. God created man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. God told the man that he could eat from every tree in the garden, except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, under penalty of death. God brought all the animals and birds to Adam, who gave them their respective names, but Adam could not find among the animals a suitable helpmate. God then put the man to sleep, extracted one of his ribs, and fashioned with it the first woman, whom Adam called Eve because she would be the mother of all the living.

The man and the woman were naked and felt no shame until the serpent convinced the woman to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. After Eve shared the fruit with Adam, the couple became aware of their nakedness. They covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from God in embarrassment. God asked Adam (Bereishit 3:11): “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?”

Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. As punishment for their transgression, God condemned the serpent to crawl on its belly and eat dust. He told the woman that she would suffer pain in childbirth, would crave for her husband, and be subject to him.

To the man, God said, “Because you did as your wife said and ate of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ Cursed be the ground because of you; by toil shall you eat of it. All the days of your life: Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you. But your food shall be the grasses of the field; by the sweat of your brow shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground–for from it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return (Bereishit 3:17–19).”

God then made garments of skin and clothed Adam and Eve. To prevent them from eating the fruit of the tree of life, thus becoming immortal, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden. After being driven out of the Garden of Eden, Eve conceived and gave birth to Cain and, later, to Abel. After the death of Abel, who was murdered by his jealous brother, Eve gave birth to her third son, Seth when Adam was 130 years old.

There is no further mention of Eve in the Bible, and it is not known how old she was when she died. Though Adam lived on for many years, dying at the age of 930, the Bible gives no account of how he adapted himself to life outside the Garden of Eden, except to mention that he fathered sons and daughters.

Source: Reprinted from Who’s Who in the Jewish Bible (The Jewish Publication Society).

Two Natures in Adam

There are, however, two points of view regarding man's nature presented in the two Biblical stories of man's creation; and they are brought out more forcibly in the Haggadah. "Both worlds, heaven and earth, were to have a share in man's creation; hence the host of angels were consulted by the Lord when He said, 'Let us make man'" (Genesis i. 26, Genesis Rabba viii.). His body reached from earth to heaven [or from one end of the world to the other] before sin caused him to sink" (Ḥag. 12a, Talmud tractate Sanhedrin 38b).[2] "He was of extreme beauty and sunlike brightness" (B. B. 58a). "His skin was a bright garment, shining like his nails; when he sinned this brightness vanished, and he appeared naked" (Targum Yer. Gen. iii. 7; Genesis Rabba xi.). When God said: "Let us make man in our image," the angels in heaven, filled with jealousy, said: "What is man that Thou thinkest of him? A creature full of falsehood, hatred, and strife!" But Love pleaded in his favor; and the Lord spoke: "Let truth spring forth from the earth!" (Genesis Rabba viii.; Midrash Tehilim viii.).

A midrashic legend (Genesis Rabba viii.) relates that the angels were so filled with wonder and awe at the sight of Adam, the image of God, that they wanted to pay homage to him and cry "Holy!" But the Lord caused sleep to fall upon him so that he lay like a corpse, and the Lord said: "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" (Isaiah ii. 22).[2] Another version (Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer xi.; Tan., Peḳude, 3) is that all other creatures, marveling at Adam's greatness, prostrated themselves before him, taking him to be their creator; whereon he pointed upward to God, exclaiming: "The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty!" (Psalms xciii. 1).

The Christian View

Adam arguably plays the more important role in Christianity than he does in any of the other Abrahamic religions. Christians believe that because Adam disobeyed God, sin and death entered into the world resulting in the fall of man and passing original sin onto all of his descendants. Adam's sin separated man from God, but Christ, who is sometimes referred to as the "Second Adam", atoned for the sins of the world through his sacrifice and thus reconciled man to God. Debate continues within Christian circles as to what degree Adam's sin affected humanity. Some Protestants, such as Calvinist, believe in original guilt, teaching that man shares in the same guilt as Adam. But both Catholics and Orthodox reject this; though there is disagreement among Catholics and Orthodox over the nature of sin.

Irenaeus taught that Adam's sin had grave consequences for humanity, and that the fall of man was the source of human sinfulness, mortality and enslavement to sin, and that all human beings participate in his sin and share his guilt. Irenaeus promoted this concept in his struggle to counter the doctrines of Gnosticism. Subsequently, the doctrine of original sin was formalized by Irenaeus in the 2nd-century.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) furthered the teaching of original sin by concluding that Adam's sin is transmitted by concupiscence. This is the concept that sin is inherited, so that original sin is passed from parent to child, resulting in humanity becoming a massa damnata (mass of perdition, condemned crowd). By Adam and Eve's sexual reproduction, all their descendants now live in sin. Augustine also promoted the view that all of humanity was really present in Adam's guilt when he sinned, and therefore all descendant humans inherit that guilt.

For many Christian denominations, the doctrine of the fall is closely related to that of original sin. They believe that the fall brought sin into the world, corrupting the entire natural world, including human nature, causing all humans to be born into original sin, a state from which they cannot attain eternal life without the grace of God. The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the concept of the fall but rejects the idea that the guilt of original sin is passed down through generations, based in part on the passage Ezekiel 18:20  that says a son is not guilty of the sins of his father. Calvinist Protestants believe that Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for the elect, so they may be redeemed from their sin. Judaism does not have a concept of "the fall" or "original sin" and has varying other interpretations of the Eden narrative.

The story of the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man represents a tradition among the Abrahamic peoples, with a presentation more or less symbolical of certain moral and religious truths.

Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam and the Fall of Man)

The Islamic View

Âdam is believed to have been the first human being and Nabi (Arabic: Prophet) on Earth, in Islam. Adam's role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence. Muslims also refer to his wife, Hawa (Arabic: Eve), as the "mother of mankind". Muslims see Adam as the first Muslim, as the Qur'an states that all the Prophets preached the same faith of Islam.

The Qur'an and Hadith give the same account of the creation of Adam and Eve. Synthesizing the Qur'an with Sunni hadith can produce the following account. According to the Qur'an, when God informed the angels that he was going to put a successor on Earth, they questioned whether the human would cause blood shed and damage, but he told them that he knew what they did not. He created Adam from clay and breathed life into him. Hadith adds that he was named Adam after the clay he was made out of, or the skin (adim) of the earth.

Returning to the Qur'an, when God asked all the angels to prostrate before Adam, they all obeyed, except Iblis. He said, "I am made from fire, when Adam is from clay. I am better than him. I am not going to prostrate before him."

Sunni hadith say that while Adam was sleeping, God took a rib from him and from it he created Eve; however, while the creation of Adam and Eve is referred to in the Qur'an, the exact method of creation is not specified. The Qur'an then says that God commanded that Adam and Eve not eat from one tree in the garden of Eden, but Iblis was able to convince them to taste it. They then began to cover themselves because they now knew that they were naked. For this, God banished Adam and Eve to earth; non-canonical Sunni hadith says that fruits were turned to thorns and pregnancy became dangerous. Non-canonical Sunni hadith also say that Adam and Eve were cast down far apart, so that they had to search for each other and eventually met each other at Mount Arafat.

In Islamic theology, it is not believed that Adam's sin is carried by all of his children. Hadith says that once Adam was on earth, God taught him how to plant seeds and bake bread. This was to become the way of all of Adam's children. Adam proceeded to live for about 1000 years, though this has been a topic of debate.

Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam in Islam)

Adam and Eve both ate of the Tree of Immortality, and both shared guilt equally, for Eve neither tempted Adam or ate before him; nor is Eve to blame for the pain of childbirth, for Allah never punishes one person for the sins of another. The Shiah school of Islam does not even consider that their action was a sin, for obedience and disobedience are possible only on Earth and not in heaven, which is the location of Paradise. Adam fell on a mountain in India, the tallest in the world and so the closest to Heaven, and from there God sent him to Mecca, where he repented and was forgiven. At Mecca he built the first Sanctuary (the Kaabah - it was later rebuilt by Ibrahim [Abraham]) and was taught the ritual of the Hajj, and wove the first cloak for himself and the first veil and shift for Eve, and after this returned to India where he died at the age of 930, having seen the sons of the sons of his children, 1400 in all.

According to the Ahmadiyya sect Adam was not the first human being on earth, but when the human race came into existence, and spread all over the world and developed the ability to receive revelation, God sent Adam to each and every branch and civilization. According to a revelation received by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the community, the Adam mentioned in the Qur'an was born 4,598 years before Muhammad.

Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam)

Overview

While a traditional view was that the Book of Genesis was authored by Moses and has been considered historical and metaphorical, many modern scholars consider the Genesis creation narrative as one of various ancient origin myths. The Abrahamic religions all agree that Adam was the first historical man and created by a Supreme Being, yet his purpose for being created and expulsion from the Garden of Eden somewhat differs.

For further reading, please visit the following websites:

http://biblehub.com/topical/a/adam.htm

https://www.thoughtco.com/adam-the-first-man-701197

https://amazingbibletimeline.com/blog/biblical-figure-adam/

http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/758-adam#1

13 End-time Prophetic Events—in Exact Sequence

The following excerpts were obtained from an article by David C. Pack, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief (The Real Truth) August 24, 2011

But what is the truth of Bible prophecy?

Jesus Christ, along with Old Testament prophets and other New Testament writers, spoke about specific events and trends that would precede His Return. There are about 70 that occur in sequence, culminating in the Return of Christ. Some are larger than others—but all are provable. The purpose of this unique Personal is to simply and briefly reveal in sequential order the first of 13 major events. They form a foundation to understand the answers to the most crucial questions about the future!

NUMBER 1: The worldwide breakdown of character

The apostle Paul warned, “In the last days perilous [or dangerous] times shall come…” (II Tim. 3:1). Here is what he describes: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (vs. 2-4). This time has come!—and it is worsening! Look around. People’s conduct is changing. More authority figures are sounding the alarm that human nature is running wild—and conditions are exploding out of control! No thinking person can disagree. Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 are parallel accounts of what is called the Olivet Prophecy. This crucial prophecy works in combination with the books of Revelation and Daniel, and puts in sequential order events that span the entire period from Christ’s First Coming until His Return 2,000 years later. Jesus explained exactly what would occur—what the serious observer should be looking for—and expect. He presented, in plain, clear language, all key events and trends. These parallel Revelation 6 precisely. Matthew 24 provides clues, which explain the symbols we will study in Revelation. You will see Jesus gives a direct answer to a direct question. Paul’s last-days description culminates with, “Evil men and seducers shall wax [grow] worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13).

NUMBER 2: False Christianity grows much worse

First, Jesus told His disciples, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I [Jesus] am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5). Jesus goes straight to the problem that would exist—there would be many deceivers at work. Christ warned that the many would be deceived by those claiming to represent Him—not the few. Are you concerned about this? The number of false teachers and false prophets is exploding, exactly as Jesus warned three times (just in Matthew 24) would occur. Most are unaware of this deception—and its impact throughout Christianity. Now let’s read the exact parallel in the first seal of Revelation 6. Understand that what the apostle John records is written in symbols, not plain language. He introduces the infamous Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: “The Lamb [Jesus] opened one of the seals…behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Rev. 6:1-2). The white horse represents false Christianity. The rider is a counterfeit of the true Christ and a counterfeit of His Second Coming, described in Revelation 19:11-16. There, the real Christ wields a sharp two-edged sword, while the false christ is carrying a bow. Do not overlook this critical difference! Since false teachers, ministers and false prophets have been plying their trade for centuries, Jesus’ warning for the end of the age must involve a big increase in the power, prevalence and influence of false Christianity.

NUMBER 3: War grows much worse

Following false Christianity, Jesus states, “You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. 24:6-7). This requires no interpretation. In fact, it is Jesus’ interpretation of Revelation 6. As we read the remaining seals, we have Jesus telling us in advance what we are viewing—what the symbols mean. All mystery disappears. When the second seal opens, a red horse appears: “When He had opened the second seal…there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword” (Rev. 6:3-4). The same Jesus Christ would not give two different versions of what happens immediately before His Return. He would not tell one thing to His disciples of the first century, and another to those of the 21st century! This should be obvious. The sword of Revelation 6 is shown as an instrument of war and killing. This horse and rider take peace from the earth. When peace leaves, war remains—what Christ described in Matthew 24:6. Wars have continued and grown steadily worse since the time of Christ’s prophecy. This part of John’s astounding vision has the gravest implications for all alive on Earth today. This horseman represents the dreadful destruction of world war. By the end of the age, the potential for devastation in war has become so great it holds the power to take peace not just from two or more nations, but “from the earth.” Only in the modern age have weapons of mass destruction been available. The 20th century saw the two most devastating wars in history, with WWII far more destructive than WWI. We are in the last intermission preceding the truly greatest war, foretold to exceed anything before it. A sinning, rebellious humanity is reaching the end of its rope, when war’s potential cannot grow worse, because it can erase all life from Earth in one last blast of total destruction—if Christ did not intervene and cut events “short” (Matt. 24:22).

NUMBER 4: Wars and commotions

Jesus added this in Luke 21: “When you shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by [or yet]” (vs. 9). The Greek word for “commotions” means disorder, confusion and tumult. An expanded definition could include acts and effects of terrorism, such as bombings, but also demonstrations, protests and riots. These things have almost arrived full force. But civil disobedience and related acts, including violence, will grow far worse than today’s mere front edge.

NUMBER 5: Famine

The pattern of history is that famine always follows war. In Matthew 24, Christ also said, “There shall be famines…” (vs. 7). This is reiterated in Revelation 6—when the black horse appears. Notice: “He…opened the third seal…and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice…say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see you hurt not the oil and the wine” (vs. 5-6). This pictures extreme worldwide famine—a widespread lack of food beyond anything civilization has seen. This condition is seen to seize the entire world in a terrible way. Famines are increasing now. They are now far worse than most imagine. Around 24,000 people on Earth starve to death every day—with this number steadily rising! All nations are poised for a never-before-seen global food crisis. Drastic changes will soon come to an interconnected modern world. No more will supermarket shelves brim with abundance. No more vast exports. No more wealthy nations able to assist countries stricken with drought and famine. Articles every day declare that the black horse is just over the horizon for all nations! Believe this!

NUMBER 6: Troubles

Mark’s account of Jesus’ list adds a word not found in Matthew or Luke: “There shall be famines and troubles...” (13:8). The Greek word translated troubles means “disturbance, that is, (of water) roiling, or (of a mob) sedition: trouble.” While this brings to mind riots, civil uprisings, protests, violent crime and gang war—and these are connected to commotions—it also includes a range of difficulties that would come from floods, tremendous hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons, and other severe storms—all forms of “roiling water.” Mark’s gospel indicates that these things will also grow worse. Make yourself see what is already happening.

NUMBER 7: Disease

If war leads to famine, and it does—the resulting malnutrition invites a host of diseases. Jesus next said, “There shall be…pestilences [or diseases]…” (Matt. 24:7). The fourth seal reveals a pale horse: “When He had opened the fourth seal…behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth [one in every four people], to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:7-8). This horse is depicted as pale because it is sickly. It obviously represents disease—pestilence! The pale horseman’s arrival portends that hundreds of millions—and not just in poor, underdeveloped countries—will perish through terrifying disease epidemics. The reference to “Death”—the end result of disease—and “Hell”—hades, meaning the grave—make this clear. The death toll now from disease around the world is staggering—82,000 lives lost every day, 30 million a year—and growing! Disease will soon alter the course of history in a profound way. Horrific epidemics, the likes of which have never been seen, will strike the world’s wealthiest nations. And coming pandemics will dwarf all that preceded them. The ensuing chaos will affect you, and all of your loved ones. Everything around you will change for the worse.

NUMBER 8: Animal attacks

Revelation describes “beasts of the earth.” The prophet Ezekiel recorded, “The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him” (Eze. 7:15). First, notice the similarity to Matthew 24 and Revelation 6. When one allows the Bible to interpret itself, a clear picture emerges every time. Ezekiel continues, “Thus says the Lord God; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence” (33:27). The picture painted is almost too horrifying to contemplate. There is seen to be no way out! God permits no escape for those who will not turn to Him! Many will try to flee, but will be unable. Death will literally pursue them like a tracker an outlaw. In fact, you saw one fourth of all human beings will die from the horsemen and wild animals—and this is before things get much worse. Revelation 6:8 becomes one of the Bible’s most powerful single passages—or what might be called a summary statement—on the entire subject of prophecy. Grasp the sheer awesome magnitude of the message here.

NUMBER 9: Earthquakes and volcanic activity

Earthquakes and volcanoes have become regular in the news. The greatest period of activity in history is now underway. Jesus warned, “There shall be...earthquakes in [various] places” (Matt. 24:7). Jesus says earthquakes would be here and there—but also that they would increase in frequency and intensity before His Return. Luke adds “great earthquakes” (21:11). The word translated “great” is megas, meaning “big,” “great,” “high, large, loud, mighty,” and “strong.” Believe Christ’s words. Mega-earthquakes—of awesome magnitude, resulting in tremendous, widespread destruction. This sets apart the time when earthquakes come more often and with more destruction from less frequent relatively “average” quakes in previous periods of history. The same would be true of volcanic activity. A second point is seen by comparing Luke and Mark to Matthew. The latter lists earthquakes at the end of war, famine and disease. Luke and Mark list them before these things. The point is obvious. They will occur throughout the final years when false Christianity, war, famine and disease have grown worse. Grasp what you have learned! In effect, Jesus has given an advance newscast—or the headlines—of events and conditions that are all around us and will grow much worse. Remember, it is not my purpose here to prove every detail of every prophecy. We can only examine summaries of the most crucial events to come. The serious reader will want detail—and that detail is available. The purpose here is to give the briefest thumbnail—a powerful overview—of what is happening.

NUMBER 10: True gospel is preached

Jesus foretold that a worldwide effort to preach the true gospel would occur before the end! Notice: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14). This means someone is preaching the gospel of the kingdom today, in our present age, because the end—close as it now is—has not yet come! Delivering the only true gospel to the world—the good news of the coming kingdom of God!—is the Work of God’s Church!

NUMBER 11: The world is warned

This event works alongside number 10. The world does not know God. It is unaware of the Plan and Purpose He is working out. Worldwide disobedience to His laws, and rejection of His truths, will cause horrible plagues to be poured out on a God-rejecting humanity. But the God of the Bible is a loving God. Before punishment, He always makes certain His “watchman” sounds the alarm to those in harm’s way. Notice: “Son of man, I have set you a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die; if you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity [lawlessness]; but his blood will I require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul [your life]” (Ezek. 33:7-9). Also read verses 30-33. God wants no one to have an excuse, to say, “I didn’t know” or “Why didn’t you tell me?” It becomes our responsibility to warn all who will take heed of the seriousness and meaning behind world-shaking events and calamities, soon to come on a sleepy, unsuspecting world. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (58:1). The job of The Real Truth magazine is to issue this warning while there is still time. Jesus makes a special promise in Revelation 3: “Behold, I have set before you [His Church, in context] an open door, and no man can shut it” (3:8). This door refers to the Work God’s Church must carry out and complete. 

NUMBER 12: The Holy Roman Empire is resurrected

Revelation 17:8-9 describes a Beast that ascends out of a bottomless pit and is ridden by a “woman.” Verse 12 shows that this Beast involves 10 kings who shall receive power and unite to bequeath it to a leader who will take the role of the Beast. Comparing Revelation 13 and 17, with Daniel 2 and 7, brings full understanding of this Beast, and the system it represents. Numerous Old Testament scriptures also refer to this system, but these are the most critical chapters to understand. Combined, they explain a staggering—and deeply sobering!—prophecy about latter-day events that will affect all peoples in your lifetime! This seventh, final, short-lived resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is arising now in the heart of Europe! A United Europe is coming—and lies just ahead. When it appears, the entire world will stand in shocked amazement. Revelation 13 describes a symbolic Beast with seven heads, 10 horns and 10 crowns, as well as a second beast with two horns. The first Beast represents the Roman Empire—a political kingdom. The two-horned beast represents the headquarters of an influential, prophetic woman, or church, that controls the first Beast. Revelation 13 also describes the “image” and the “mark” of this Beast. The prophet Daniel explained that the “ten horns” of Revelation 13 were 10 successive governments, which arose out of the Roman Empire and continue until Christ’s Second Coming. Daniel states, “The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings [or governments] that shall arise” (7:24). Who are these 10 kings? Start by recognizing they must be successive, not simultaneous because they span a period from AD 476 until Christ’s Return. Obviously, no man can live this long and neither has any single government, empowered by Rome, lasted this long. Briefly, beginning in AD 554, the Roman Empire became known as the Holy Roman Empire. Historians almost universally acknowledge that the pope’s crowning of Justinian signaled this change. Over the centuries, new rulers appeared and were crowned—Charlemagne (AD 800)—Otto the Great (962)—the Hapsburg Dynasty of Charles V (1520)—then Napoleon (1805)—with the sixth head being Garibaldi’s united Italian head from 1870-1945! This revival of the Holy Roman Empire culminated in the defeat of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Mussolini, after signing a secret agreement with the Vatican in 1929, united Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Somaliland back to Italy in 1935. He declared this to be the Roman Empire re-established! But there is another figure who appears on the world scene during this period of end-time events.

NUMBER 13: The False Prophet appears

This event could easily be exchanged with number 12 because these appear at or about the same time. The Revelation 17 “woman” riding the Beast is a great false church—and the evidence of this is overwhelming. This explains the “Holy” attached to “Roman Empire.” Like one who rides a horse, camel or elephant, the woman directs, controls and guides the animal to go where she wants and do what she wants. This church is led by a leader the Bible calls the “False Prophet.” The Beast and False Prophet will combine to rebuild and lead a powerful religious-governmental system. Many verses show that demons will bring the power to work miracles through this system. The False Prophet is also called the “Man of Sin,” among other names. Paul wrote, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first [a prophecy fulfilled in the late 20th century among God’s people], and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (II Thes. 2:3-4). This religious figure will be revealed some time before God’s Work is over. This final, world-charming False Prophet will lead all nations to worship the Beast! The deception will be so widespread that these men will actually deceive all mankind into fighting Christ at His Return (Rev. 16:9, 13-16; 17:13-14).

History of Christianity

Long before Catholism, Protestantism and Evangelism was there just Christianity? Biblical scholars and theologians agree that in the early days of the Church, during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, the congregation were made up of mainly Jewish people who extended a hand to the Gentile (anyone who is NOT Jewish) but within decades of its religious founding, Early Christianity was divided into three different branches that slightly differ in theology and traditions, which all appeared in the 1st century AD. They included Jewish Christianity, Pauline Christianity and Gnostic Christianity. The majority of biblical scholars agree, all modern Christian denominations have descended from one of these three branches.

Jewish Christianity: The first Christians were essentially all ethnically Jewish or Jewish proselytes. In other words, Jesus preached to the Jewish people and called from them his first disciples. (Matthew 10).

Pauline Christianity: Is a term applied to what some perceive as the religious teaching unique to Paul’s writings and specific from the gospel of Jesus. That is, Jesus distinctly taught one thing, and Paul noticably taught something completely different. Those who believe in a separate Pauline Christianity believe that the Christianity of today has little to do with Jesus’ teachings; rather, it is the product of Paul’s corruption of those teachings.

Gnostic Christianity: In most Gnostic systems the sufficient cause of salvation is this "knowledge of" (or the "acquaintance with") the divine. It is an inward "knowing," comparable to that encouraged by Plotinus, and differs from Christian proto-Orthodox views.

Christianity originated in Roman-occupied Jerusalem, a predominantly but not entirely Jewish society, with traditional philosophies distinct from the Classical Greek thought which was dominant in the greater Roman Empire during that era of time.

In the first few centuries after Christ was crucified there was no Roman Catholic Church. There was a catholic church but not a Roman Catholic Church. The word "catholic" simply means universal. In the time of the Roman Empire there were various locally governed and administered churches. For example, there was the Church of Jerusalem, the Church of Rome, the Church of Antioch, the Church of Alexandria, the Church of Corinth, etc. Each of these churches was ruled separately by their own bishops. The bishop of one church had no authority over the bishop of another church. But the Christians in all these churches considered themselves to be one spiritually even though they were governed separately. 

The Christians in these various churches did not see "eye-to-eye' on every doctrine. They differed on matters of secondary doctrine, as Christians do today, but they all were in agreement with the primary and essential doctrines concerning the Deity (God).

Crucifixions were also common in the Roman Empire. They were so common that the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was noticed only by a small group of dedicated followers. To understand the life and death of Jesus and the birth of Christianity, one must understand the context of the Roman Empire.

Because Rome was politically the center of the Roman Empire and because of the important political events occurring there, the bishop of the Church of Rome eventually began to have greater and greater influence over the bishops of other churches in the Roman Empire. Eventually in the 5th century the bishop of the Church of Rome was recognized as having supreme authority over all of the other bishops of the other churches; there became to be organized for the first time in history the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, from this event, the Papacy would be instituted in the centuries to follow.

Christianity was adopted and imposed (325 AD) by Emperor Constantine as a replacement for all the diverse religions then recognized and practiced in the Roman Empire. With Christianity as the official and only state religion, the wealth and property of all the other religions were swept into the Roman treasury.

Christian history shows that the Holy Spirit has made sure through the centuries that all Christians agree on the essential or primary doctrines concerning the Person and work of Jesus Christ. On matters of secondary doctrines Christians have differed and continue to do so. However, some Christians believe the knowledge [or lack of knowledge] of these secondary doctrines do not affect one's salvation, but do affect one's better understanding of God. 

Wikipedia definition - A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity, identified by traits such as a name, organisation, leadership and doctrine. Individual bodies, however, may use alternative terms to describe themselves, such as church or sometimes fellowship. Divisions between one group and another are defined by authority and doctrine; issues such as the nature of Jesus, the authority of apostolic succession, eschatology, and papal primacy may separate one denomination from another. Groups of denominations—often sharing broadly similar beliefs, practices, and historical ties—are sometimes known as "branches of Christianity" or "denominational families".

The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, first referred to as Christendom, and the Church with its various denominations, from the 1st century to our present age. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity spread to all of Europe in the Middle Ages... Protestantism made it's grand entrance in the 16th century and Evangelism surfaced in the 18th century.  Today there are more than two billion Christians worldwide, and remains the world's largest religion.

Related Topics:

The Basic of Christian History
What Were Early Christians Like?
Early Christianity, An Introduction