In His Grip

The events of Revelation chapters 15 and 16 comprise the fifth of seven parallel sections. Again, the events that transpire between the ascension of Christ and His second coming are described with different details and with greater intensity in each successive parallel section. In this message, Dr. Betters shows how the seven bowls of wrath and their judgements pronounced here parallel the seven t...

The fulfillment of Biblical prophecy is so often missed or overlooked. So much of it has already been fulfilled. Accordingly, we ought not to be surprised by the fulfillment of prophecy of the events regarding the end times either. The Bible tells us what is going to happen and why it is going to happen. However, it does not tell us exactly when Christ will return. In this message Dr. Betters exam...

In this fourth parallel section of Revelation we learned more of the details and mission of the dragon and two beasts. Satan and his beasts have steadily been at work since Christ’s ascension. Have you noticed the work and progress of Satan? Over such a long period of time, many do not see the inroads that Satan has made. In this message Dr. Betters identifies seven significant inroads that Satan...

In part one we examined the beast that rose from the sea. We learned that the beast of sea represents the systems of government that rises up to persecute the church. Now in part two of this message we turn our attention to the nature of the second beast that rises up from the earth. The two beasts have different origins but they do not work alone. There is a connection between the two beasts that...

We now come to the last message from Dr. Betters on the third parallel section of the book of Revelation. In chapter 11 of Revelation we learn about the two witnesses to come who are also referred to as the two olive trees, the two lampstands, and the two prophets. God endows the two witnesses with power and they will prophesy for forty two months on the earth. Some maintain that these two witness...

Dr. Betters continues in the third parallel section of the book of Revelation and focuses now on chapters 10 and 11. In the last message, Dr. Betters covered the meaning of the first six trumpets. As he stated previously, the first four trumpets brought ecological disaster to the earth and the last three trumpets are called the three woes. We begin in this message where the first six trumpets have...

In this message Dr. Betters begins the third parallel section of the book of Revelation which covers chapters 8 through 11. As Dr. Betters has explained, each parallel section tells of the events between the first coming of Christ and His second coming with other details and more intensity. In this parallel section, the primary target of the revelation deals with the unsaved people of the world. L...

Dr. Betters continues in the second parallel section with the study of chapters 6 and 7 of Revelation. In this message, we learn the contents of the scroll as the Lamb of God opens and reveals six of the seven seals. Again, Dr. Betters helps to explain the rich symbolism and the meaning behind the numbers found in these passages that uncover more of the detail behind God’s plan for the end times....

As noted in several of the previous messages in this series, the book of Revelation was not written in chronological order and must not be read and understood as such. It must be read and understood as seven parallel and progressive sections. Each of the seven sections tells the story of the events between the first and second coming of Christ in a progressive style that provides more detail, inte...

The letter to the church at Laodicea from Christ is the seventh and the last of the letters to the churches in Asia Minor. There was not one word of praise or commendation in this letter. The congregation was half-hearted, materialistic, given to temptation, and compromised the truth. They were rich in wealth and material goods but poor in spirit. The majority of the body of this congregation was...

God uses, as He does with all seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor, characteristics of the city and culture in which the people lived to bring home the message of who He is. The city of Philadelphia had no power, wealth, or military. Yet God had strategically placed the little congregation in Philadelphia at the crossroads of opportunity to demonstrate what can be done by them through Him....

The church in the city of Philadelphia in Asia Minor was the sixth of seven churches that received a spiritual evaluation directly from God through Jesus Christ. The city of Philadelphia during this period was characterized by terror, fear, and powerlessness. The church, however, was able to rise above the circumstances of the city and provided stability in an unstable world. Join Dr. Betters in t...

In our continuing study of Revelation, we come to the fifth letter from Christ to the church at Sardis. Here we have a wealthy church that has many people and ‘programs.’ Nonetheless, Christ delivers a scathing rebuke by calling them a dead church. How can a church like this be pronounced dead? In contrast to some of the letters to the other churches, the church at Sardis was not reprimanded for b...

How do we as Christians live in the world without drifting? How do we keep Christ front and center in our lives when immersed in a culture that would lead us astray? How do we discern the black and white areas of Christ-focused living as well as the gray areas without falling into legalism or compromising the standards of what we believe as Christians? These are the same questions and struggles th...

In this sermon, Dr. Betters examines the third letter from Christ to the church at Pergamos. The city of Pergamos was considered the seat of authority and power in the province of Asia and labeled by Christ as the seat of Satan’s throne. The church at Pergamos was established right in the center of Satan’s power base. So did this church fail under the extreme pressure of trial and persecution? No!...

In this message Dr. Betters moves on to examine the letter to the church at Smyrna. Unlike all the other letters from Christ to the seven churches, this is the only letter that does not contain a rebuke. This letter is one of encouragement, reassurance, and hope in the face of trial and suffering. Join Dr. Betters as he uncovers the rich history of the city of Smyrna and its people, the specific m...

If at the end of your life you were able to travel back in time and visit yourself much earlier in life, what would you tell yourself? What commendation or encouragement would you give? What warning or exhortation would you stress? What essential wisdom or knowledge would you emphatically share? Much of scripture serves this purpose to a degree. Scripture is not some type of dusty account of histo...

The framework of the seven progressive parallel sections in the book of the Revelation were established in the previous message. Now Dr. Betters begins the detailed analysis of the first parallel section which covers God’s messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor. These seven churches were actual active churches of the day. However, the same characteristics of these churches are also found in...

Up until this point in the study of the book of Revelation, Dr. Betters has evaluated the four major views or systems of interpreting this book as well as the questions raised about the millennium period, when the great tribulation will occur, whether Christians will have to endure that tribulation, and an analysis of the signs leading up to the second coming of Christ. In this message Dr. Betters...

The second coming of Christ is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament alone. Only the doctrine of salvation is mentioned more times than the doctrine of Christ’s second coming. We can be sure He is coming again but the ‘when’ of His coming has many Christians scratching their heads. The Bible says no one knows the day or hour but it speaks very clearly that there will be certain signs that...

From Dr. Chuck Betters' series Unveiling and Understanding Revelation. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Scripture teaches us as Christians we will suffer and face trials of many kinds due to our faith. We have and we will suffer for righteousness sake. But what about the suffering and persecution during the end times known as ‘the’ great tribulation? Will we suffer the wrath of God? If the Church does not escape the great tribulation through the secret rapture as many wrongly believe, what hope does...

From Dr. Chuck Betters' series Unveiling and Understanding Revelation. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

One of the keys to understanding when Christ will come again has to do with the timing of the millennial kingdom. When will Christ’s reign of 1000 years occur? Dr. Betters discusses the 3rd and 4th major views regarding Christ’s second coming in this message and the way scripture is used for each of the positions. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Studying the book of Revelation will challenge you. It is not easy to comprehend. You must exercise and discipline your mind in the study of scripture. In fact, a major key to unlocking the mysteries of the book of Revelation is to know and understand many of the other 65 books of the Bible. We must look to scripture to help us interpret scripture and not the opinions of people. Dr. Betters contin...