Posted: March 29, 2023
The March/April 2023 issue of National Geographic History magazine contains an interesting feature article about Persian King Xerxes (reign 486–465 BC) entitled, “Triumph of Engineering: Canal of Xerxes,” by Antonio Penades.[1] It examines evidence confirming King Xerxes’ excavation of a 1.25-mile-long canal across a narrow portion of the Mount Athos Peninsula of Greece, in
Continue Reading “Medo-Persia and Greece in Bible Prophecy”
Category: Blog
Tags: 31 BC, 323 BC, 331 BC, 480 BC, 490 BC, Actium, AD 476, Aegean Sea, Alexander King of Greece, Antipater, Asia Minor, Babylon, Bible prophecy, book of Esther, Cambyses, canal of Xerxes, Cassander, Daniel 11:2, Daniel 11:3-4, Daniel's four gentile kingdoms, Daniel's fourth kingdom, Darius I, divided Roman Empire, dominion, Egypt, fragmented Greek Empire, Gaugamela, Gaumata, Greece, Greek Empire, Greeks, history, Holy Land, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, King Alexander, King Cyrus of Persia, King Darius I, legacy, Lysimachus, Macedon, Marathon, Mark Antony, Medo-Persia, Mount Athos Peninsula, National Geographic History magazine, NIV Study Bible, Octavian, Persian King Xerxes, Pseudo-Smerdis, Ptolemaic-Egypt, Ptolemy I, Queen Cleopatra, Roman Empire continues to exist, Rome, season of the return of Christ, Seleucus I, Syria, Thrace, times of the gentiles, West, WestBow Press, western Greece, Zondervan
Posted: January 26, 2023
The idea that the Roman Empire still exists today is not strange. Ample support exists for it in the Bible and world history. Two historical phases of the single Roman Empire are depicted in Daniel 2, the first phase of iron and the second phase of iron and clay. Interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel foresaw
Continue Reading “Two historical phases of the Roman Empire (book excerpt)”
Category: Blog
Tags: Babylon, Bible prophecy, Book of Revelation, Cambridge Modern History Atlas, continuing fourth kingdom, Daniel 2 and 7, Daniel's fourth kingdom, democracy, democracy is clay, divided and weaker fourth kingdom, division of Roman Empire, end times, feet and toes of iron and clay, first phase of iron, four gentile kingdoms, fourth beast, globe trampler, Greece, history prewritten, iron, iron and clay, King Nebuchadnezzar, King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, legs of iron, Mediterranean, Medo-Persia, Middle Ages, monarchy is iron, Roman Empire, Roman Empire still exists, Roman monarchs (or crowns), season of the return of Jesus Christ, second phase of iron and clay, separate Roman States, signs of the times, St. Jerome, times of the gentiles, two historical phases of Roman Empire, Western Europe, world history
Posted: June 26, 2022
“Consider the passage from the book of Acts 17:24–27 (KJV), where the apostle Paul uses prophecy (God’s predetermined plan . . . ) to witness to a group of Greek skeptics at a meeting of the Areopagus in Athens. Paul is clear that our God is the Creator of heaven and earth (Acts 17:24 KJV).
Continue Reading “Paul in Athens: A Historical Message for Today (book excerpt)”
Category: Blog
Tags: 21st century, 27 BC, Acts 17:24-27, Adam, Age of Grace, apostle Paul, appearance of Jesus Christ, Areopagus, Athens, believers, Bible prophecy, birth of Jesus, birthplace of democracy, book of Acts, book of Genesis, Christian eschatology, church, Church Age, Creator, Creator of heaven and earth, Daniel 2 and 7, democracy, exact times and boundaries of nations, first century, four gentiles empires, fourth and final gentile kingdom, fourth kingdom, God's love, God's predetermined plan, God's presence and plan, Gospel, Greece, He made all the nations, Hebrews 9:26, historical message for today, history, history prewritten, human government, human history, in the beginning, Jesus Christ, lift Him up, Paul in Athens, return of Christ, Roman age, Roman Empire, Roman world, seek Him, skeptics, sovereign God, temporal kingdoms, times of the gentiles, Tower of Babel, Western civilization, whole earth, witnesses for Christ
Posted: March 21, 2022
Special thanks and appreciation to all my family members, friends, and mentors who encouraged me to write this book, who reviewed and provided helpful feedback on my manuscript, and who provided written reviews, comments, and congratulations that are included in the front section of my book and quoted below with gratitude. Thank you! “Melvin Hawkins
Continue Reading “Acknowledgments”
Category: Blog
Tags: "revived" Roman Empire, Age of Grace, amalgamated fourth beast, analysis, Antichrist, apologetics, authoritative, Babylon, Bible and history, Bible prophecy, Bible-based study, Christian eschatology, Church Age, comprehensive, continuing existence of the fourth kingdom, current events, Daniel 2 and 7, Daniel's fourth kingdom, democracy, discovery, dispensational, divided and weaker Roman Empire, documentation, early civilizations, educational, encouragement, end times, evidence, excellent read, exhortation, facts, faith, four gentile kingdoms, fourth kingdom, fragmented fourth kingdom, fulfillment of prophecy, future, God's love, God's plan, God's sovereignty and power, God's Word, Gospel, government, Greece, gripping, hidden in plain sight, high caliber, historical films, history prewritten, Holy Spirit, hope, human government, human history, illuminating, insightful, inspirational, iron and clay, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, library, literary journey, masterpiece, Medo-Persia, monarchy, must-read, nonfiction, paradigm shift of events, parallel study, political and cultural remnants, premillennial viewpoint, pretribulation rapture, purpose, research, return of Christ, rewarding study, rigorously researched, riveting, Roman age, Roman Empire, Roman Empire still exists, Rome, salvation, scholarly, signs of the times, sound reasoning, temporal kingdoms, ten horns, ten Roman nations, thoroughly documented, thought-provoking, times of the gentiles, traditional interpretation, transformative, tribulation period, well-developed study questions, well-written, world history, world of trouble
