Dr. Robert S. Morley

Thanks for the welcome, Luke. Btw, I removed the links as I didn't realize that posting them was against the rules. God bless.

Hi Salyan, I was unable to access my comment here to remove the links.

Hi Tony, I would like to commend you for your zeal for the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit's instruction. Here are some of my thoughts in regard to what you shared. 1. "No interpretation of scripture is private." This is true, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21). This verse follows yours and explains that the "holy men of God," who wrote the Scriptures, didn't give their own interpretation. 2. "That's why we're told to study it for ourselves." Yes, too true! We are encouraged to study the Bible for ourselves. It is a safeguard against false teaching. However, that does not mean that we have not been given teachers who can help us know how to interpret properly and others who expound God's word. For Christ "gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Eph. 4:11). That said, James warns, saying, "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1). 3. "We're also told that the Holy Spirit, not your book will lead us to the truth." I agree wholeheartedly, Tony. We should all be like the Jews in Berea who "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:10).

I posted a lot from my resources to assist with the topic. The references I gave allow those who want more on the topic to know where they can go. It would be unfair to overload the forum and post more than I have.

Hi Salyan, Thanks for the welcome and for directing me so graciously to the rules. Not to worry, I will go ahead and remove the links in my introduction anyway. Also, I've probably offended some by including links in my posts yesterday. So I'll remove those too. God bless, Rob

Thanks for the heads-up. I will gladly try remember to stick to the KJV. As for what I have shared, please advise me on your thoughts. "For now we see through a glass, darkly," but together we can help each other see so much more.

I am South African married to an American and we have four children. My wife and I co-founded Light and Life Bible Ministries, which helps people apply God's Word to all of life. Salvation I grew up in the Catholic Church and always believed in the existence of God. At age 20, feeling that life had nothing to satisfy me, God said spoke to me, saying, “What about what you learned when you were young?” I responded by giving my life to Him and got changed in such a way that I have never looked back. Called by God In the year of my conversion, I got invited by a friend to go as part of an evangelical outreach team to other areas of the country. The experience was to be life-changing. I was so excited to see people coming to the Lord and how God used us, especially despite our weaknesses. On the outreach, I heard the testimony of a man who lived by faith as a full-time missionary with his wife and family. His account of his life resonated deeply in me, and I wanted, from then, to experience the same. Preparation Very soon after the outreach, I attempted to go into full-time missions. However, the leader of the organization I was interested in joining felt that the timing was not right for me. I was heartbroken but got consoled through prayer and the belief that God was leading. In hindsight, I could later see how God better prepared me by keeping me back and sowing so much more into my life. In the meantime, I took several opportunities to go on more short-term outreaches. Called to Go Finally, in 1991, four years after my conversion and call into missions, I received the call to go full-time. Several months after being heartbroken by a failed romantic relationship, the Lord said, “If you take care of My bride, I will take care of yours.” I knew that if I put Him first, He would care for me. God then directed me to read, “Matthew 28:19.” Doubting that such a chapter and verse even existed, I opened my Bible and read, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” I knew then, without a doubt, that the time had come to be involved in a full-time role for this purpose. Operation Mobilization (OM) Later that year, I joined Operation Mobilization (OM), South Africa. After a six-month training team, I joined the OM missionary ship, MV Doulos. We traveled to many countries of the world, sharing the Gospel. While serving on board, I met Christina, a co-worker of equal passion for God, who would become my wife. Youth Pastors After leaving the ship, we got married and went on to serve as youth pastors at a local Methodist church in South Africa. Then, a year later, we did a short-term outreach to Japan. After our second child was born, we attempted Bible College. We got to excel in our courses but had to abandon our studies after six months due to a lack of finances. Youth With A Mission (YWAM) In 2000, we were called back into full-time missions, this time with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Worcester, South Africa. We trained and worked with them in several capacities for nine years. Our opportunity to be involved with the Bible Core Course for several years was perhaps the most significant for my passion, calling, and future. Then, in 2010, we served YWAM, the local church, and our community as independent missionaries, which led to us founding Light and Life Bible Ministries. Ministry Most of our teaching is on our blog, Real Church Life, where we respond to issues in the Church and society by giving understanding and application of God's word. Our teaching includes a focused interpretation of Bible passages, more of which are on our blog, Restore the Word. We also have a Bible study training site called Bible Coaching. Theological Studies In recent years I decided to pursue formal theological training and have a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Christian Leaders College (2017), a Master of Theological Studies degree from NationsUniversity (2020), and a Doctor of Biblical Studies from Wesley School of Divinity (2021). Partners in Christ My wife and I are blessed to be supported by our local house church and others with whom we partner in ministry. Please pray for our ministry and that we will attain all God has called us to in Christ.

Hi Luke, What I have given are sincere responses to the topics at hand, much of which are from material I have previously worked through. I have also given links to my works so that those who are interested can read more. What I have given is free and I have, in some cases, given links to a free website too. Thanks for asking. P.S. I will add free links where I haven't, which is often my procedure, so as not to be seen as peddling the word for profit (2 Co 2:17).

Here are extracts from my book, Dismantling Dispensationalism: A guide to better understanding the Last Days and the End Times, that I hope might be helpful: The Antichrist Conundrum and Distraction The Antichrist Conundrum Throughout Church history many have postulated who the Antichrist is. Some believe that he is yet to come . . . Others have proposed 1st century Roman emperors, certain world or religious leaders, and even the papal system itself. . . . Scriptures clearly point to an initial 1st century Antichrist, while others indicate repeated manifestations of this figure throughout Church history, and still others speak of a final Antichrist who is destroyed at Christ’s return. In a nutshell, Daniel prophesied that the Antichrist would be a 1st century Roman emperor. This is corroborated by John who wrote of his imminent appearance in his 1st letter. Revelation, however, also depicts the Antichrist as an ongoing enemy throughout the Church age. Furthermore, it speaks of the Antichrist’s demise when Christ returns, as does 2nd Thessalonians. Clearly, in order for the Antichrist to be a 1st century manifestation, as well as an ongoing one and an end-time character, he has to be represented by more than one person. As I see it, our inability to agree on who the Antichrist was, is, or will be, is further proof that not one person fully represents everything said about the Antichrist. Who Is the Antichrist? Introduction In this chapter I give an outline of the various uses of the term ‘Antichrist.’ In the process I also give a broad interpretation of the human leader called the Antichrist who I see as a recurrent enemy of the Church . . . The Antichrist – An Evil Spirit . . . If we are not careful, we can be so busy identifying who the Antichrist is that we don’t recognize that the spirit of the Antichrist is presently at work. This spirit is always undermining Christ and those who are His and the positive difference that they make in society. The Antichrist – Many Persons When John wrote the Gospel of John and his first and second epistle, he specifically aimed his message at early Gnosticism, calling individual proponents of this belief system ‘the deceiver and the antichrist’ (2 John 1:7). It was not only the individual teachers who were designated as the Antichrist, but also anyone, because he said ‘This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son’ (1 John 2:22). . . . This broad definition not only allows for multiple persons to be the Antichrist, it also encompasses the entire range of ways in which Jesus Christ is denied. Ultimately all other religions, atheists and agnostics are Antichrist (anti-Christ) because they deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Antichrist – A Roman Emperor According to John, the evidence of many Antichrists was confirmation that it was ‘the last hour’ and, therefore, that the manifestation of an expected Antichrist leader was imminent. Consider 1 John 2:18 that says ‘...as you have heard that the antichrist is coming...’ and 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ‘...unless...the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.’ Both of these Scriptures speak of expecting this individual. Several hundred years before this, the prophet Daniel had clearly predicted the sequence of events that would unfold in Jewish history. . . . Though the ‘man of lawlessness’ is said to be in existence at Christ’s return, it stands to reason that the Antichrist would also manifest early on in the life of the Church as a satanic attack in opposition to Christ and His people. Moreover, in order for Christ’s return to carry the expectation and surprise that the Scriptures associate with it, an early manifestation of the Antichrist was logically necessary. Unlike the Thessalonians who were told that the day of the Lord would not come before the man of lawlessness is revealed, the Church can expect Christ to appear at any time, because the Antichrist has since been revealed. The Antichrist – An End-Time Incarnation While 2 Thessalonians 2 expected an individual called ‘the man of lawlessness’ and the book of Revelation speaks of ‘the beast,’ careful comparison shows that these characters are the same person as the Antichrist. According to the Scriptures, ‘the man of lawlessness’ and ‘the beast’ get destroyed at Christ’s return; therefore, this Antichrist leader is not only a 1st century individual, but an end-time character too. It seems that it is by God’s design that we will never know who the last Antichrist will be, thereby keeping Christ’s return date a mystery. All we know is that at Christ’s return he will be destroyed. The Antichrist – Repeated Incarnations . . . After the initial Antichrist, who was most likely Emperor Domitian, others have carried the mantle in subsequent generations. These were most likely leaders like Emperor Diocletian, certain popes (arguably the papal system itself), and several other religious and world leaders. The attributes and activities associated with the incarnate Antichrist are not fulfilled in their entirety in any one individual, including the end-time Antichrist. By way of example, none can be both alive in the 1st century and at the end when Jesus returns . . . It appears that while we are so busy identifying who the Antichrist might have been, or who he might be, or who he might one day be, we miss the enigma that he has and will manifest recurrently. ----- The above can be found in posts titled, Who Is The Antichrist, on my website, Real Church Life. -------- Food for Thought If Revelation gives a picture to the Church of a recurring Antichrist until Christ's return, he can also manifest simultaneously. For example, wherever contemporary antichrist leaders like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini had influence over God's people, they were each, in their own right, a reincarnation of "the beast" of Revelation to Christ's Church in those places. And, what of Trump? Is he an American version of the beast? See my book, EVANGELICALS, TRUMP, AND THE BIBLE: The Bride and The Beast of The Apocalypse. A free version of the book can be read on my website, The Bride and The Beast.

The discovery of other uses of the term does mean Revelation is "a prophetic utterance that is primarily literal description." Furthermore, context still determines the word meaning intended by the author. Signified. Jesus Christ signified, i.e. made known by symbol and figure, the things which must come to pass. "Signify" (σημαίνειν) is characteristic of St. John, to whom wonders are "signs" (σημεῖα) of Divine truths. "This he said, signifying [by means of an allegory] by what manner of death he should die" (John 12:33; comp. 18:32; 21:19) - (Bible Hub, Rev. 1:1, Pulpit Commentary). The following is from my book, Dismantling Dispensationalism: A guide to better understanding the Last Days and the End Times Consistency of Interpretation . . . to be consistent when interpreting Revelation, a book loaded with symbolism, why would the ‘7 spirits of God’ (Rev. 1:4) allegorically represent the Holy Spirit while the reign of a ‘thousand years’ (Rev. 20) be literal? On what basis would the number ‘7,’ associated with the term ‘spirits of God,’ be allegorical and, yet, the number ‘1,000,’ associated with the term ‘years,’ be literal? And, what of the 24 elders, the 12,000 stadia, the 144,000 redeemed, etc.? . . . I argue that numbers should be considered figuratively if: - the literature is apocalyptic (a genre that uses symbolism and allegory); - there is clear use of numerology; - numerology is used at the outset; - numbers associated with Biblical numerology are used; - numbers associated with Biblical numerology are used throughout; - only numbers associated with Biblical numerology are used throughout; - credible Biblical meaning is consistently the outcome when interpreting numbers as symbols; - multiple cases exist, making chance unfeasible. Revelation ticks all of the above; therefore, it is imperative that we interpret the figurative meaning of the numbers in Revelation rather than their literal meaning.

"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six" (Rev. 13:18 KJV). The logic of the text is that the number of the beast is the number of a man, i.e., 666. The following is from my book, Dismantling Dispensationalism: A guide to better understanding the Last Days and the End Times. There are several examples in the text that indicate that the book was intended for the Church in John’s time, for example, ‘the number of the beast...666.’ This clearly identifies Emperor Nero, a tyrant who had severely persecuted the Church, but who had died by the time John wrote. A careful study, however, will show that John referenced Nero metaphorically to point to another emperor who would be as ruthless towards the Church as Nero had been. John indicates this transition when he writes of ‘the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived’ (Rev. 13:14). History shows us that Domitian was like Nero in the way that he persecuted the Church and who was figuratively the reincarnation of the beast that Nero had been. Writing as a prisoner in exile, John wisely used coded language to indicate these emperors were enemies of the Church. . . . Calculating the Mark of the Beast, 666 6 = man 3 = God 666 = Man setting himself up as God 666 = ‘number of the beast...is the number of a person’ 666 = Neron Kaesar (Greek) using numerology 616 = Nero Kaesar (Latin) using numerology ‘The number of the beast’ depicted ‘the number of a man.’ Using numerology, John indicated who the person was. The number 666 was, no doubt, cryptically depicted so as to avoid appearing anti-Roman. By writing, ‘This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast...’ (Rev. 13:18), John clearly expected his audience to determine who he was referring to. . . . 666 ‘This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666’ (Rev. 13:18). Meaning: - 6 = man - 3 = God - 666 = man setting himself up as God - 666 = number of the beast...is the number of a person - 666 = Neron Kaesar (Greek) - 616 = Nero Kaesar (Latin) Interpretation: - ‘666’ depicts Nero’s reincarnation in the imminent leader (Domitian) and possibly later reincarnations (several world leaders and popes) ------ The above is also found in my blog post, Who is the Antichrist? – Part 3, on the website Real Church Life.

Furthermore, in order to explain the outpouring of God’s Spirit that was evidenced in the disciples speaking in other languages, Peter quoted Joel saying, “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions” (Acts 2:17). Sadly, Rhodes places this prophecy for future fulfillment and thereby misses or dilutes the interpretation of Joel’s prophecy that Peter made when he connected “the last days” to his own day.

. . . consider that the Spirit of God is introduced to the churches at the beginning of the letter as ‘the seven Spirits.’ Why is He called ‘the seven Spirits?’ ‘Seven’ figuratively symbolizes God and ‘Spirits,’ being plural, shows His omnipresence. This, we discover, is the beginning of a pattern of the numbers in Revelation having meaning. . . . 7 ‘John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne’ (Rev. 1:4). Meaning: - qualitative fullness, completeness, or totality - 7 = 3 + 4 - God + creation = perfection - “very good” - 7 = God’s number in relation to creation - mimicking perfection, e.g., 7 heads on the beast Allusion: - days of creation - days of the week - day God rested - Sabbath rest Interpretation: - ‘the seven churches’ represent God’s complete Church . . . Those who hold to a literal view of the book of Revelation have many objections to numerology being used throughout the book. However, consistency in interpretation of the numbers in Revelation is in favor of an allegorical approach, because every number in Revelation is meant to be allegorically understood and explained even if a literal meaning was also used. For example, the literal ‘seven churches in the province of Asia’ also represent the entire Church. In contrast, those who hold to a literal view are not consistent as they are forced to concede that several numbers are only symbolic. For example, ‘the seven spirits of God’ (Rev. 3:1) is never literal. Taken from my book, Dismantling Dispensationalism: A guide to better understanding the Last Days and the End Times. Available in part in a blog post, Taking Issue with Futurism – Interpreting Revelation Part 1.

Who Are the 144,000 and What Is Their Ministry? ‘And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel’ (Rev. 7:4). As I have said previously, Revelation is comprised of figurative language throughout. This is another verse that is loaded with symbolism. In fact, failing to see the different symbolism used has led to all sorts of wrong interpretations. In the case of the 144,000, we should strongly consider whether or not the numbers in the text are used symbolically. In “Numerology in Revelation” (see Appendix), I argue that numbers should be considered figuratively if: - the literature is apocalyptic (a genre that uses symbolism and allegory); - there is clear use of numerology; - numerology is used at the outset; - numbers associated with Biblical numerology are used; - numbers associated with Biblical numerology are used throughout; - only numbers associated with Biblical numerology are used throughout; - credible Biblical meaning is consistently the outcome when interpreting numbers as symbols; - multiple cases exist, making chance unfeasible. Revelation ticks all of the above; therefore we ought to consider the figurative meaning behind the number 144,000. Remember, often the numbers that are used are combinations of the distinctive numbers in Scripture, which adds to the meaning. This is true of 144,000 as shown here: 12 x 12 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 144,000 12 = covenant people 10 = quantitative fullness 3 = God 2 = both Old and New Testament eras ‘one hundred forty-four thousand’ – 10 x 10 x 10 (or 103) x 12 x 12 (or 122) depicts the fullness (10) of God’s (3) people of both (2) the Old (12) and New (12) Covenant eras. ‘sealed’ – this is not a literal sealing, but is figurative of a spiritual truth. ‘tribe’ – note that this isn’t the traditional tribal list. There is meaning behind why some are listed and others omitted. Also of significance is the order in which they appear. For example, Judah is listed uncharacteristically ahead of Reuben. Furthermore, the fact that each tribe is depicted with the exact same number of people strongly suggests that the meaning is not literal, as some tribes were significantly larger than others. ‘Israel’ – figuratively Israel represents the people of faith of both Testaments. This fits with Paul’s teaching that ‘not all Israel are Israel.’ The 144,000 are, therefore, the people of God of both Testament eras. The original audience, which included many Gentiles, would have recognized that they were being included and referred to by this symbolism. And, such an interpretation would have encouraged not only the early Church, but the Church throughout history. This is in contrast to a literal interpretation of a supposed 144,000 Jews who God will be busy with after the Rapture, which dispensationalists propose. Such a total misinterpretation comes from applying a literal method to what is clearly figurative language, thereby robbing the Church of the encouragement intended for her.