About the Mark of the Beast; why the forehand or forehead? Why is it either of those two places, does the Bible indicate the reasoning behind the two locations?

A very bright professional woman who is very dear to me is an agnostic, bordering on atheism. She seems angry with God (or maybe it is fear, or a combination — God knows) and actively runs from all mention of Him because He allows the innocent to suffer, and because He will condemn the Hottentots and the Hitlers to the same eternal fire and brimstone.

I’m at a total loss of what to say to her. She was raised a Lutheran and learned not just to “fear” God, but to be terrified of him. She knows the Plan of Salvation but appears to reject the entire “God package.” God is not a loving Father but, if He is to be believed in at all, He is an angry, hostile, punishing being who is just waiting to get His hands on you and who will impose hideous punishment on all, even believers, in this life and the next.

I have to believe somehow that, although nonbelievers will suffer eternal separation from God, there must be places where the just God mitigates the kinds of “punishment” a nonbeliever will get. Or else, maybe He simply “snuffs them out.”

So what about the person whose entire social and cultural existence, the entire cognitive framework in which his personality develops, and by which he interprets all his perceptions, including what God reveals to him, and lives a “righteous” life, although he worships an “unknown god?”

How can I explain to my agnostic friend that a good, just, and merciful God will condemn such a person to have the “smoke of his burning rise up forever and ever.” I know that God takes no pleasure in this, so is our God so absolutist in his condemnation of all nonbelievers? I’m not writing of those who know God (as we think we do), and actively rebel and reject Him. I mean those who are unable to know God as we think we do.

Is it not likely that we attribute qualities to God that are not really His thinking and ways at all? After all, his thoughts and ways are far different from ours. We are able to know of him only the tiny part he has chosen to reveal.

What can I say to this dear woman? Is there any scripture (which is not really seen by her as a valid source) that can help? Yes, I pray for her.

Hi, I have a question about the judgment seat of Christ. I understand that believers will be rewarded for the good deeds and suffer loss for the bad deeds. Someone told me that the ones that suffer loss will not reign in the 1000 year millennium. Is this true and if it is where will they be? Thanks for your answer.

There is a debate raging about whether or not the Big Bang theory contradicts the 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics depending if we consider our universe close or open system. Do you have any thoughts on the subject?

We recently had a discussion with others concerning young children whose parents are Christians and would be taken at the Rapture. The question arose as to whether the children – quite young, would go to heaven by the Rapture or would they be left on this earth to go thru the tribulation.

John 3:16 says “Whosoever believeth..” but the problem is young children may not fully understand what that means. Can you give us some scriptural light on this?

I’ll admit to confusion but simply put, a peace treaty as is being proposed between Israel and the Palestinians could not necessarily be “The Peace Treaty” as described in the Book of Daniel since it will be a Future Roman price who confirms that treaty, or could it be?

Also, does the Bible describe the Peace Treaty as involving all of the Middle East or only those involving Israel? Thanks for your patience in my inquiring!

It is widely understood by many prophecy experts, that the dragon with ten horns (in Revelation) is believed to be the Revived Roman Empire, or EU. However, we have the EU, and Pres. Bush is forming the North American Union, or NAU. Now, there is an effort to unify the African continent into the AU. With all these countries unifying, couldn’t the ten horns of the dragon be ten regional super-nations?

Have you even covered or researched the subject about the Red heifer? For years I have heard about this but never fully researched it.

According to Numbers 19:2: “Speak unto the Children of Israel that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke”. It must not have hairs of any other color, it must be in perfect health, and it must never have been used to perform work. The cow is then slaughtered and burned “outside of the camp”. Cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet are added to the fire, and the remaining ash is placed in a vessel containing pure water.

Then I found this in Ezekiel 36:25-26. “Then I shall sprinkle pure waters upon you, and you shall be clean, from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. I will also give you a new heart, and I will place within you a new spirit… ”

How does this Red Heifer pertain to The Tribulation? and or the re-building of the New Temple?

Re: The verses in 1 peter 3:19-20 where it says “through whom also he (Jesus) went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water…

I studied the chart from Clarence Larkin about the underworld and he shows that Jesus went into a chamber (Abraham’s bosom) that held the believers. Did Jesus go to the other part of the chamber (hell or sheol or hades) where the unbelievers went??

According to Luke 16 there is a great gulf that separates them.

We have at our little rural church, a young Christian, who has appointed himself as a prophet. He has no formal training, is very opinionated about the order of worship, and has defied our church leadership, calling for God to kill them if they “defy” him. I always believed, that Jesus was our last preist, prophet, and king. Are there still prophets in the church? If so, what are the requirements?