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[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Two Hidden Truths Explain John 3:16

Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins, but what does that mean?

You’ve likely heard of the “sinner’s prayer”; a few words of confession and acceptance of Christ as Savior, and presto—you’re on your way to heaven.

But is that what the Bible says? Many think so, but is it?

If you’ve watched Tomorrow’s World for any length of time, you know this program is different. For one thing, we tell you, “Don’t believe us just because we say it—believe us because you can prove it from your own Bible.”

Another difference is that we are not here to entertain, but to inform—to give you what Paul referred to as “the whole counsel of God.” And you’re not receiving that from your typical Sunday morning preachers.

John 3:16 is sometimes referred to as the “golden verse” and rightfully so, but almost all professing Christians, while familiar with what it says, are woefully ignorant of its full meaning. Now here’s what it says (John 3:16):

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Now on the surface, this passage appears rather straightforward, so what can possibly be misunderstood? What truths are hidden? Simply put, what most people think the verse says is that “God loves us and Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for my sins.”

And that’s true, but in those few words, there are details that are never considered and are obscured by tradition and misconceptions. So let’s take a closer look and break it down.

1. Jesus Is the God of the Old Testament

1. Hidden truth number one is the identity of Jesus prior to His human birth.

Few stop to ask this question, yet the Bible gives the answer, and it’s a surprising answer. Professing Christians often pit the God of the Old Testament against the God of the New Testament, thinking the Old Testament God was harsh and demanding, but Jesus came along to do away with His Father’s unrealistic demands. But nothing could be further from the truth, and this brings me to the importance of knowing who Jesus was. The Apostle John was close to Jesus and the last living of the original twelve. At the beginning of the book bearing his name, John tells us this about who He was:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1–2).

Now whoever this was who was with God from the beginning, and who was also God, is revealed in verse 14.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Yes, the Word, the Spokesman of God, became flesh. So Jesus was the Spokesman of the God family and was with God the Father from the beginning. But notice something else about Him—go back to verse 3.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:3).

Now how many realize, that prior to His human birth, Jesus was the One through whom all things were made? And what is meant by all things? The answer is found in Colossians 1:15–18:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Clearly the one spoken of here, who created all things, is Jesus Christ. It was through Him that all things were made, and all things include the heavens and the earth, the visible and invisible—everything. This is confirmed in Hebrews 1:1–2.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.

Why is this not generally understood? And why is this important? It’s important because the role of Jesus, prior to His human birth, has relevance for the New Covenant doctrines. Contrary to common thinking, it was not the Father who thundered the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, but the one who became Jesus Christ.

No One Has Seen God the Father

Write these scriptures down and prove this for yourself.

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18).

This simple truth, that no one has seen God the Father at any time, is confirmed in John 6:45–46.

It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.

74 Men Saw God (Jesus Christ) at Mount Sinai

However, we read that God was seen at Mount Sinai, and that by 74 men. Here it is in Exodus 24 and beginning in verse 9:

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank (Exodus 24:9–11).

Do clear, easy-to-understand scriptures contradict themselves? If so, the Scriptures cannot be trusted. The simple truth is found in the first four verses of 1 Corinthians 10.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and [get it, here it is] that Rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1–4).

Yes, as we read in John 1, there are two Beings referred to as God, and one of them came in the flesh to redeem man. He was the Creator of all things, including man, and was thus able to exchange His life for ours.

• So hidden truth number one: The identity of Jesus prior to His human birth.

2. True Believers Obey God

John 3:16 tells us:

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

And this leads us to our second hidden truth.

2. Hidden truth number two: True belief requires obedience.

Many turn to Paul’s statement in Romans 10:11, 13 as the only requirements for salvation.

For the Scripture says, “whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11).

And then in verse 13:

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Both quotes come from the Old Testament prophets of Isaiah and Joel, respectively, and they are absolutely true, but what does it mean to believe?

Belief and Obedience vs. Unbelief and Disobedience

Those Israelites who came out of Egypt failed in their quest for the promised land, and even the next generation who physically entered it failed to find God’s rest. Why? Hebrews 3, beginning in verse 16 explains.

For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? (Hebrews 3:16).

Notice the subject is rebellion, continuing in verse 17.

Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:17–19).

There is a direct connection between belief and obedience. And this is explained later in Hebrews 11:6.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

“Even the Demons Believe”

But even believing is not enough as Jesus’ half-brother James explained. Notice it in chapter 2, beginning in verse 19.

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:19–20).

Love is often pitted against the law of God. We know that we are saved by grace, but does that mean that belief is all we need and that we don’t have to keep the commandments? Not at all.

And this is why hidden truth number one is knowing the identity of Jesus prior to His human birth.

As shown in an earlier portion of this program, He was the one who thundered the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, but many professing Christians erroneously believe it was God the Father who spoke from the mountain and communed with Moses.

Furthermore, they think He only got nine out of ten correct and His Son had to come to straighten that out. Now they don’t say it that way, but what other conclusion can we come to when they endorse all the commandments except one? They agree with the commandments against having another god before the true God, honoring one’s parents, and not committing murder or adultery, not stealing or lying, but they reject the command to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy—thinking the seventh day is replaced by the first day of the week, or that it is totally unnecessary.

However, when a Pharisee, a lawyer, tested Jesus with this question:

Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? (Matthew 22:36)

The One who, prior to His human birth, gave the Ten Commandments, responded in verse 37.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40).

How to Love God—and How to Love Your Neighbor

A careful look at the Ten [Commandments] shows that the first four teach us how to love God, and the last six teach us how to love our neighbor. And James explains that all ten are still in effect (James 2:10).

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty (James 2:10–12).

You may ask, “Why such emphasis on law in relationship to John 3:16?” The answer is obvious. Why did the Father give His Son and why did Christ die for us? Was it not to pay the penalty for our sins? And if so, does it not make sense for us to know the biblical definition of sin?

What Is Sin? Breaking the Laws of God

People have many personal ideas about what sin is. Some think running around on one’s mate, viewing pornography, going to movies on Sunday. Others think drinking alcohol, coffee, tea, or soft drinks containing caffeine constitute sin.

And at an earlier time, many believed dancing or playing cards were sins.

Still others sum it up by saying, “Anything that hurts others.” Of course, by that definition, if one does something that he believes (sometimes erroneously) does not hurt anyone else, it must not be a sin.

So why don’t people simply look to the biblical definition found in 1 John 3:4?

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4, King James Version).

Answers from Bible Verses: What Is Love?

The Apostle John, is known as the “apostle of love” since he spoke so much about love. You’ll see that if you read his first letter where he uses the word love 36 times in five short chapters. Not only does he twice tell us that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), but he also tells us that we must love one another. Now write this down and look it up in your own Bible.

In 1 John 2:3–6, he connects knowing God and keeping the commandments. Furthermore, he tells us we must walk as Jesus walked and that the love of God is perfected in us when we obey him. Here it is in 1 John 2:3–6:

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked (1 John 2:3–6).

If You Love God, Keep His Commandments

And let us not forget what John wrote in this same letter in chapter 5, and verses 2 and 3.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:2–3).

No, they are NOT burdensome as some deceivers claim.

So hidden truth number two: True belief requires obedience.

“For God So Loved the World”

John 3:16 begins with this statement:

For God so loved the world….

Now what could possibly be hidden in those six words, you may wonder. Actually, far more than you can possibly imagine, but you’ll have to order our free resource for a complete explanation.

However, let’s focus on the one word—world. One of the most erroneous doctrines in false Christianity is that God is trying to save the whole world today, but this is neither biblical nor fair.

Consider the fact that through most of the last 2,000 years, the majority of mankind knew nothing about Jesus Christ. Consider the aboriginal man in Australia who died a week after Christ’s crucifixion—what chance did he have? Will God judge him by what he does not understand? Not according to Acts 4:10, 12;

Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole…. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

One foolish man once told me regarding someone who had never heard of the name of Jesus Christ that if he wanted to know Christ, God would have gotten the word to him. But how ridiculous, as seen even by the Apostle Paul, where he explains it in Romans 10:14.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

No indeed! Not everyone who has lived has even heard of Christ. And consider the unfairness to those born in parts of the world where Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheism, and a host of other “isms” are the rule.

This is to say nothing of the various forms of professing Christianity with a multitude of different doctrines. How can they all be right?

Does God save the children of so-called Christians if they take their babies to be sprinkled upon when those babies don’t have a clue what is happening to them? Are all others lost? Or does God automatically save all children who die early in life prior to understanding what sin is and what God did for mankind nearly 2,000 years ago?

Many of you have been tormented by the thought of a lost loved one writhing in pain for eternity in an ever-burning hell fire, as taught by mainstream Christianity. But this is simply not biblical.

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[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Irony of Selfishness: Reinforcing Misery

In many very real ways, our civilization today could be one of the most self-centered in human history. Virtually every aspect of life is being overrun with the idea that you are the center of the universe, and what’s most important is your opinion, your desires, your interests, and your fulfillment. Yet, that approach is creating little more than anxiety, depression, and—ironically—very unfulfilled lives.

Thankfully, Jesus Christ confronts the spirit of this age with an approach that shatters that thinking and replaces it with a truth that is far more profound—one anchored in the very purpose of human life.

In a way, our society is unique in human history. We’ve never en masse had so much of our individual worlds personalized to cater to our every whim and personality quirk. Nor have we had cold, calculating, and tireless machines and profit-driving economic systems devoted to keeping it that way—and driving our self-interest and self-focus deeper and deeper.

Social Media Revives the Myth of Narcissus

Consider social media. The ancient Greeks used to tell the mythical tale of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection in the water—focusing on himself so much that he began neglecting everything else. Well, we are creating that mythical tragedy in the real world on a civilizational level with our social media feeds—Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and others.

We have designed software and algorithms of almost unimaginable power that continue to learn about us and feed us exactly what we ourselves want from them. Now, we might protest: “I hate my social media feeds! I don’t want that!” And yet, they know better. Why? Because we keep on scrolling. We keep checking our notifications. Our mouths say “no,” but our scrolling thumbs say “yes.”

And the more subtle lesson of social media is not lost on us. For instance, there is a reason it’s called “YOU-Tube.” The wall of videos it offers you every time you go to its homepage communicates an important idea: You should only have to watch content you want to watch, hear messages you want to hear. With social media, streaming services, podcasts, we begin to be imprisoned by walls of our own design, until we live in an echo chamber that does little more than amplify our own emotions, solidify conclusions we’ve already made, and reinforce beliefs we already have—whether right or wrong.

“There’s an app for that.”

If we want food, well there’s little need to work with others to prepare a meal anymore. We can order anything we like, and there is a service ready to deliver it to our door—even if it’s just a cup of coffee. In fact, we can often pay with our phones and almost avoid interacting with another person completely.

In fact, our culture is corrupting with selfishness even the most intimate of interactions. Dating apps help people avoid the awkwardness of actually getting to know someone before “swiping right” or “swiping left.” Pornography is more rampant than ever, normalizing and reinforcing the idea that sex is about individual gratification and personal satisfaction—about what you get for yourself and not a means of caring for someone else to whom you are fully committed.

Being “true to yourself,” “living your truth,” “being authentic,” and “choosing your own identity” have been elevated to cultural virtues. Articles with titles like “I’ve Picked My Job Over My Kids” (June 29, 2019) and “I Put My Career Before My Family” (August 20, 2019) are published as if they are celebrating a virtue instead of a fault, and children and spouses are seen mainly as a means to our personal fulfillment—to be ignored or downgraded if need be if they aren’t contributing to how we think our life ought to be.

Focusing on Yourself Ruins Personal Connection

Yet, for all our focus on self-satisfaction, self-promotion, self-improvement, self-care, and self-fulfillment, we are in worse shape than ever.

In the U.S., for instance—a nation in which self-determination is virtually a point of pride—surveys show that depression has steadily grown in the last decade, hitting all-time highs in recent years (“U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs,” Gallup, May 17, 2023). In fact, the young among us may be hit the hardest. In his powerful 2024 book, The Anxious Generation, author Jonathan Haidt [“Height”] notes that suicide rates for boys have grown 91 percent since 2010—and for girls, 167 percent.

Why the skyrocketing growth since 2010? Haidt points to the spread of smartphones—the ultimate tool in personalized entertainment.

Ironically, as our society has increasingly trained us to focus on ourselves—our own needs, pleasures, and happiness—we are increasingly frustrated, anxious, and depressed. But there is a better way.

The Real Answer to How to Be Happy—Mark 8:34

Followers of Jesus Christ who are serious about living according to His teachings live by a different rule: You don’t belong to you.

Instead, you belong to Him—to both His Father and to Christ Himself—and your life is to be devoted to Their wants, desires, and plans, not yours.

This principle is expressed in many ways in many places in the pages of Scripture. Let’s look at a few. For instance, turn to Mark 8:34–35.

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Note that this is the very opposite of the dynamic we’ve been talking about. He isn’t just talking about dying for Him. He’s talking about living for Him, too, making your own priorities, desires, and goals secondary compared to His will and plans.

Look, too, in 1 Corinthians. There, Paul is writing to Christians in Corinth about obeying God’s laws with regard to sexuality and marriage. In chapter 6, he makes the same point Christ did. Here is the passage in the Revised Standard Version:

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (RSV, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

Of course, in our culture today, most feel God should keep His nose out of their sex lives. And the rotten and painful fruit of that attitude toward sex is all around us—broken lives, broken hearts, and rampant disease. But when you understand that you don’t belong to you—you belong to Him—all of that changes.

Paul wrote on the same principle to the Christians in Rome, as well. Look in Romans 14: 7–8.

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

It is simply a central element of a Christ-following way of life: You do not belong to you. You belong to Him.

Following Jesus Means Filling Others’ Needs

And Jesus didn’t just teach that way of life. He lived it. In the gospel accounts we see Him, time and again, giving Himself to others. And even the night before His terrible and torturous crucifixion, as He hoped there might be another way—what did He pray?

We see it in Luke 22:42.

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Even the Son of God recognized: He did not belong to Himself.

This thinking flies in the face of the attitude that surrounds us in our world today. Because rather than focus on our own concerns, belonging to God means our higher calling is to focus on the needs of others, not our own.

The Apostle Paul teaches this plainly in his letter to the Philippians, in chapter 2.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3–4).

The Ten Commandments Show How to Love Others

Even in the core commands of the Christian life, the Ten Commandments, we see this idea. Jesus once summarized the Ten Commandments into two Great Commandments. We read His summary in Matthew 22:37–40.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Now note, He didn’t see a need to command us to love ourselves. That comes naturally to us. Rather, He said that the law of God focuses you on loving God first and loving your neighbor as much as you already love yourself.

Yes, you do need to see to your own health and safety to be able to serve others. Again, the Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit—and made in God’s own image. That is to be respected and cared for.

Change Your Focus to Improve Relationships

Yet the purpose and meaning in our lives is not fulfilled in self-care, but in care for others.

This understanding transforms virtually every relationship we have with others—and even with ourselves.

Consider marriage. In today’s world, too often a spouse is evaluated on whether or not he or she continues to “fulfill” you or “satisfy” you. But when you don’t belong to you, the perspective changes. Instead of seeing your spouse as either a tool or obstacle to your own personal fulfillment, each begins focusing on the other’s fulfillment. And as they do, they begin to experience more of what marriage was created to be in the first place—richer, fuller, and more meaningful.

And when children come along, the father and mother don’t see them as some source of their own fulfillment—or something to make their own lives complete. Rather, the parents see themselves as responsible for nurturing and serving their children. Children aren’t something to take second place to our own career ambitions. Instead, they become part of the reason we earn a living in the first place.

But the family is only one arena that is transformed. Our lives as employees or employers, teachers or students, customers or store owners—all take on new meaning, as we see ourselves as being owned by God and being tools in His hands to serve others. Our friendships are transformed, as we see our friends not as those who make us happy, but as those we have the opportunity to serve and care for.

And more than relationships are transformed. Embracing the fact that we belong to our Creator and not ourselves changes how we see everything around us—every experience, every joy, and every trial. And it anchors our lives deeply in the profound reason for our very existence—the purpose God created us to fulfill.

This loving, outward focus is clearly important to God.

But why? After all, the animal world is pretty self-centered. Most animals focus mainly on eating, reproducing, and protecting themselves. Why should man be any different?

Because man is not an animal. We have been created for a much higher purpose than any animal will ever know.

Live as a Child of God for the Family of God

Every human being has been created with the potential of one day joining God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son—in Their divine family as children of God.

This is not merely symbolic language or metaphor. God is literally expanding His family through mankind, and the purpose of life is to one day join that family.

This truth is cast aside by almost every so-called “Christian” denomination, but it is the truth of your Bible.

1 John 3 says that those who are His—that is, those who recognize in this life that they do not belong to themselves, but belong to Him—will not only meet Him in the air, but they will “see Him as He is” and will be “like Him” (1 John 3:2).

Romans 8:17 says that as Children of God we are “joint heirs with Christ”—destined to be “glorified together” with Him.

We aren’t destined to be God’s pets or His “curious creatures” for eternity. “Child of God” means child of God. “Son” or “daughter” means son or daughter. And when Paul writes in Ephesians 3:15 of “the whole family in heaven and earth,” “family” means family.

May God Almighty deliver each and every one of us from the manmade philosophical and theological words that most ministers use to talk about God and open our ears to accept the words He Himself inspired to be written.

What Is the Meaning of Life? Become Like God

The purpose of this life is to grow to be like our Savior on the inside so that, at His return, we may forever be like Him on the outside, as well—as fully formed children of God, ready to inherit eternity in glory.

This is why the Bible contains multiple admonitions from God that we are to become like Him. We see one example in Leviticus 11:45. After commanding Israel concerning which animals were food and which animals were not, He says:

“For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Jesus continues this theme in His own teachings. Jump forward to the New Testament and look in Matthew 5:48.

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

The same teaching! The broader context in Matthew really brings today’s idea home. Let’s begin earlier in verse 43 of this beautiful and challenging passage.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43–48).

Live by Jesus’ Teachings to Build Character

Nothing in that description sounds like the “you belong to you” attitude of our world—yet it does reflect the very character of God—character Christ seeks to build in us.

In 1 John 4:8, we’re told that “God is love,” outgoing concern for others more than self. It is His desire that we have that same nature in us—His nature in us, that we embrace the truth that we do not belong to ourselves. We belong to Him, and He is fulfilling a great purpose in us.

Of course, all of this might seem like a bit much. Loving even our enemies? Those who hate us? Those who spitefully use us and persecute us?

To be sure, it goes against the spirit of our age, in which taking offense has become a national pastime. In fact, it goes even against human nature. It is human to think you belong to you. To selflessly embrace God’s ownership of your life is something else entirely.

You know, Jesus said something really remarkable in Matthew 11. Look at it with me, starting in verse 29.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29).

At times, I’ve found this statement odd. Because Christians have, historically, been persecuted, even tortured and executed, for their faith. Even Jesus, Himself, called following Him the “narrow gate” and the “difficult path.”

Yet, once you come to understand your purpose in life, the yoke is easier, and the burden is lighter, because your challenges and trials are no longer meaningless—not suffering for the sake of suffering, but suffering knowing that God is allowing that experience, while helping you through it, and using that experience to help form His own character and love in you.

It’s why James is able to write in the first chapter of his letter,

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2–4).

Embracing the fact that you do not belong to you does not guarantee you will not have hard times. Yet, neither does the self-centered spirit of this age. And, in contrast, embracing God’s ownership of you and your life, along with the purpose that He’s working out in you, gives those hard times real and transcendent meaning—a meaning that the hollow self-centered approach could never have.

Use Strength from God to Overcome Selfishness

And unlike the self-centered approach, when you understand that you do not belong to you, then you do not go through life alone.

The philosophies of our self-centered society like to say, “You are all you need,” and “You are enough!” But we aren’t enough, and we don’t have to be. For those willing to give ownership of their lives over to God and His Son, They, in turn, give of Themselves to live within us and begin transforming us, helping us fulfill Their purpose for us. Paul writes of this in Galatians 2:20. Here in the King James Version, we read:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

No, you don’t belong to you. Christ expects you to give yourself to Him. Yet He has already given Himself for you. He doesn’t ask you to embrace a selfless care for others that He does not embrace Himself. And as Paul says here, for those willing to give up their self-will, He lives His life in them—making possible the transformation, the fulfillment of their purpose, that they could never accomplish on their own.

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[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Beast of Revelation Is Rising

The Bible is once again proving its skeptics wrong.

Who foresaw the dramatic shift in German thinking that began suddenly less than four years ago—a shift that continues to intensify?

The answer is those who understand Bible prophecy—prophecies highlighted here at Tomorrow’s World for many years. We did not come up with this due to greater intellect, or by looking into a crystal ball, following Nostradamus, or consulting a spook in the night. It is all there in the scriptures.

Tomorrow’s World has for decades shown from the biblical books of Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, and elsewhere that Germany will once again become a dominant military force in Europe—and that events will cause ten nations or kingdoms in Europe to give their power over to a German-led military and economic colossus that Scripture calls the Beast. Naysayers have ridiculed the idea of another European revival of the Roman Empire, but that is what is beginning to happen even as you view this program. It’s never a good idea to bet against God and His word!

Europe and Germany Prepare for War

Dear friends, our world is right now taking a turn that will lead to disaster for mankind. It will not look like disaster, but that is exactly what the Bible foretells for the near future.

What many fail to see is a military and economic colossus rising up—right now—before our very eyes.

Europe is a sleeping giant for which few have devoted much thought, but on February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine as “peacekeepers”—and three days later launched a full-scale invasion. That was a wake-up call for European leaders, and former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz immediately called for an epochal shift in people’s thinking—from pacifism to war-readiness. Germans suddenly recognized the need to build a strong military force to counter a threat from the East. Mr. Scholz called for spending €100 billion (U.S. $108 billion) to rebuild his nation’s armed forces and to boost annual military spending to more than 2 percent of GDP. Part of the €100 billion included the purchase of F-35 stealth aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Other European countries also received that wake-up call from Mr. Putin and are ramping up their military spending.

The election of United States President Donald Trump was a second wake-up call for Europeans to look to themselves for their defense. Mr. Trump’s election was worrisome to European leaders, but at the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance shocked European leaders with his February 14 lecture.

This Foreign Policy headline from February 18 highlighted the shock NATO member states had regarding the speech.

European leaders are reeling from a weekend of high-level diplomacy that has laid bare just how dramatically the second Trump administration is overhauling transatlantic relations.

The article that followed explained:

Even before the reelection of U.S. President Donald Trump, European leaders were anxiously deliberating what the possible return of the U.S. leader would mean for the future of the NATO alliance and the Russia-Ukraine war. But a series of speeches, phone calls, and decisions surrounding the recent Munich Security Conference have only confirmed their worst fears (“The Speech That Stunned Europe,” ForeignPolicy.com).

The U.S. was not the only country with a new leader. Germans went to the polls on February 23 and Europeans speculated what the outcome would be—not so much who would win, but what the new leader would mean for Europe.

Nuclear Deterrence Revives German Military

The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) reported:

Friedrich Merz is on the precipice of becoming Germany’s next chancellor. If successful, his conservatism and quest for new allies to secure Europe’s nuclear deterrent could create a “two-speed Europe” (“Double speed: What Merz and a German right-turn would mean for Europe,” ecfr.eu, February 20, 2025).

Note that—a nuclear deterrent. An older generation would be horrified to think that the country that led to the loss of tens of millions of lives in two world wars last century would possess nuclear weapons. But that is exactly what is contemplated.

And what is meant by a “two-speed Europe?” Although the European Union is currently composed of 27 nations, not all nations share the Euro currency.

And in that sense, there is already a two-speed Europe—an inner core and a broader union. The Bible speaks of ten nations that give their power over to a charismatic leader. We may expect that there will be a broad-based economic union with a smaller inner core military union that the Bible tells us is fragile and will only last for a short time.

Germany’s “Seismic Shift” Prioritizes Defense

Consider this explanation from German-Foreign-Policy.com explaining what is needed from the new German government.

In Berlin, government advisors and foreign policy experts are calling for a massive increase in the military budget, drastic cuts in social spending and the vigorous indoctrination (“change of mentality”) of the population. Rapid militarisation is, they argue, the task of the next German government. These demands are spelled out in the current issue of Internationale Politik (IP), a journal published by the influential German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). Its cover story is entitled: “What the world expects from Germany after the election.” One contributor writes, for example, that the next government must prepare society “for Germany to become the leading European power, diplomatically and militarily” (“All or Nothing,” German-Foreign-Policy.com, March 4, 2025).

Only a precious few in the world understand where this is leading.

There is a military and economic colossus on the rise in the heart of Europe that will impact your world and that of your loved ones, and it’s happening far more quickly than you might imagine.

German Chancellor Sheds Dependence on U.S.

I also mentioned the rift in Trans-Atlantic relations that has come about since the election of President Donald Trump. This is more than a mere spat between allies. Its significance has far-reaching consequences, as pointed out in this BBC.com report.

Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting didn’t wait for the final results of his country’s election on Sunday to herald a new era in Europe. Declaring the US indifferent to this continent’s fate, Friedrich Merz questioned the future of Nato and demanded Europe “boost its own defences. Quickly” (“New German leader signals seismic shift in transatlantic relations,” BBC.com, February 24, 2025).

Although a previously strong advocate of the Trans-Atlantic alliance, Merz recognized the seriousness of the rift in relations and that there is no turning back.

“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” he added. Merz hinted that the endeavour was so urgent that he was not sure on whether the transatlantic alliance leaders gathering for a summit in June “would still be talking about Nato in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defence capability much more quickly” (“New German leader signals seismic shift in transatlantic relations,” BBC.com, February 24, 2025).

All of this was prior to the blowup in the White House between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the U.S. President and Vice President on February 28. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Politico:

“Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge” (“‘Free world needs a new leader’: Europe defends Zelenskyy after Trump attack,” politico.com, February 28, 2025).

Politico later reported:

“Shortly after his victory, Merz began proclaiming a radically different creed, one fit for an alarming new reality in which U.S. President Donald Trump’s America could no longer be relied on to protect Europe — and could even act to harm it.” (“Will the threat of Trump end Germany’s austerity zeal?,” March 18, 2025).

Note that last statement.

America could no longer be relied on to protect Europe — and could even act to harm it.

Merz is taking rearming to a degree that makes his predecessor’s €100 billion look puny in comparison. The BBC reported that shortly after Merz was elected:

German lawmakers have voted to allow a huge increase in defence and infrastructure spending—a seismic shift for the country that could reshape European defence. A two-thirds majority of Bundestag parliamentarians, required for the change, approved the vote on Tuesday. The law will exempt spending on defence and security from Germany’s strict debt rules, and create a €500bn ($547bn; £420bn) infrastructure fund. This vote is a historic move for traditionally debt-shy Germany, and could be hugely significant for Europe, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds on, and after US President Donald Trump signalled an uncertain commitment to Nato and Europe’s defence. (“Germany votes for historic boost to defence spending,” BBC.com, March 18, 2025).

U.S. Tariffs Widen the Gap with Europe

If Europeans were shocked into reality by the Trump administration regarding the defense of the continent, they were no less stunned and offended by the level and scope of tariffs announced on April 2. America’s “Liberation Day” would impose a universal 10 percent tariff three days later on all imported goods and even higher tariffs would kick in on April 9 for dozens of countries.

America is seen by an increasing number of Europeans as a threat, as an enemy, and this should be a wake-up call on this side of the Atlantic. But it’s not Europeans only who view America as a threat.

A serious rift has been created between the United States and Canada, and Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney is turning to Europe for greater ties economically, as are a number of other countries.

“Countries are ready to work with reliable trade partners in Europe”… European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told POLITICO.

“In a more and more unpredictable global environment, countries are lining up to work with us,” the Commission president said without naming Trump or the U.S. In recent weeks she has spoken to leaders from Iceland, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada, India and the United Arab Emirates who were looking for “strong, reliable partners” (“Von der Leyen: World is ‘lining up’ to work with Europe amid Trump’s trade war,” Politico, April 22, 2025).

And let us not forget China and all of Central and South America. While the United States boasts of 340 million consumers, the combined nations of the European Union have 450 million consumers.

German-Led Europe Emerges

Germany and Europe are poised to become both an economic and military superpower on the world scene.

Revelation points to ten nations or leaders giving their power over to a charismatic leader it calls the Beast. And Daniel describes these nations as being a fragile mixture of iron and ceramic clay—not naturally binding together.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed April 4, 1949 following World War II. NATO’s first Secretary General, Lord Ismay, explained the aim behind the new military alliance as it was then.

Keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down (A history of NATO: ‘Keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down’ - New Cold War: Know Better, Nov 7, 2016).

What we now see is Russia knocking at Europe’s eastern door, Germany rising, and the United States walking away.

It is not uncommon for allies to have disputes and differences, but this is a historic geopolitical shift that should be chilling to students of European history and Bible prophecy. The rise of an economic and military juggernaut involving a combination of central European nations is something we have warned about for decades.

Germany Will Do “Whatever It Takes”

What we now see happening is the rise of a German-led Europe beginning to build a powerful world-class military force with nuclear weapons totally independent from the U.S.—their former protector.

As reported by Politico, in an article titled, “Will the threat of Trump end Germany’s austerity zeal?”:

“In view of the threats to our freedom and peace on our continent,” the mantra “whatever it takes” must now apply to Europe’s defense, Merz told reporters earlier this month as he announced a historic borrowing plan that could unleash €1 trillion in new spending for defense and infrastructure over the next decade.… “The meeting in the White House between Zelenskyy and Donald Trump really showed the whole drama in which we are living today in terms of security policy, and that is why we had to act quickly,” Merz said on public television on Sunday [March 16]. “We now have to take a more independent path from America,” he added. “Europe’s time has come” (March 18, 2025).

Yes, Europe. Not Germany alone.

Reuters reported this response from the EU Commission President following the White House blowup between the US administration and Ukrainian President Zelensky.

The European Commission proposed on Tuesday to borrow up to 150 billion euros ($157.76 billion) to lend to EU governments under a rearmament plan driven by Russia's war in Ukraine and fears that Europe can no longer be sure of U.S. protection…. Von der Leyen put forward the 150 billion euro fund for priorities such as air defence, missiles and drones as part of a package of proposals that she said could mobilise up to 800 billion euros for European defence (“EU proposes borrowing 150 billion euros in big rearmament push,” Reuters.com, March 4, 2025).

The transformation of Germany and Europe is historic, and is taking place at breakneck speed.

This BBC headline appeared on March 31: “Germany decides to leave history in the past and prepare for war.” The article went on to say:

Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr, recently got the all-clear for a massive increase in investment after parliament voted to exempt defence spending from strict rules on debt. The country’s top general has told the BBC the cash boost is urgently needed because he believes Russian aggression won’t stop at Ukraine. “We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that,” General Carsten Breuer says. He warns that Nato should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years…. “And the sooner we are prepared the better” (bbc.com, March 31, 2025).

European nations are circling the wagons as they realize they must stand on their own in the face of a threat from the East, and abandonment from the West.

This Is Germany’s Destiny in Bible Prophecy

The military awakening of Europe, and especially in Germany, is no small matter. Twice in the last century a militarized Germany plunged the world into wars that took the lives of tens of millions. We know that it is not in their heart to bring about a round three, but the descendants of ancient Assyria will once again wield the sword against the Israelite nations. As it tells us in Isaiah 10, the modern-day descendants of ancient Assyria, is indeed God’s rod of punishment.

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations (Isaiah 10:5–7).

Germany’s biblical identity is explained in detail in our resource Germany in Prophecy. This great nation is destined to once again shake the world, but it will not do it alone. Ten nations will lend their military support to a charismatic leader, who will bring the whole world once again to war.

A Crisis Will Clinch Germany’s World Domination

As we have already seen, Germany is gearing up for war in as little as three to four years. But as the Bible shows, a crisis, a charismatic leader, a miracle-working religious figure, and ten nations or leaders will combine to use this military might in a manner that no one currently intends.

The United States and Europe are pulling apart, and with the Russian threat to their east, Europeans recognize their need to unite as one for their own defense. Furthermore, Germany realizes its need to take the lead. The book of Revelation describes what we will see in the near future. Though we cannot know the exact timing in advance—as shown in the previous segment of this Tomorrow’s World program—the time it will take Europe to prepare to withstand an attack by a nuclear superpower to its east is short—perhaps four years or less.

But Bible prophecy explains that this Beast power will do far more than defend Europe against a Russian attack. As happened twice in the last century, this German-led force of “kings” (nations or groups of nations) will bring the whole world to war once again. We read in Revelation 17.

The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast (Revelation 17:12–13).

The Second Coming Will End the German Reign

And when does this happen? At the return of Jesus Christ, as clearly indicated by the next verse.

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful (Revelation 12:14).

Yes, it is at the time of Christ’s return. My father once told me that the Europeans could never get together—conventional wisdom based on his knowledge of the differences between the European peoples. Yet, this condition is exactly what the Bible describes.

These same ten nations found in Revelation are depicted in the biblical book of Daniel as the feet and toes of a giant image that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream, recorded in chapter 2. We know the ten toes of that image are the same as the ten kings of Revelation, because of the context and how they are destroyed by the returning Messiah.

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the [ten] toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay (Daniel 2:41–43).

The next verse tells us when this fragile alliance takes place—when Jesus Christ returns to set up a different kingdom.

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever (v. 44).

The Bible tells us far more than I have time to explain in this short program, and that is why we are offering you our free resource, Germany in Prophecy. However, I want to leave you with a very encouraging passage in the 19th chapter of Isaiah regarding the future of the great nation of Germany.

In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance” (Isaiah 19:24–25).

Events are unfolding so rapidly that between the time this program is recorded, edited, and sent to stations for review before airing, who knows how our world may change? Be sure to keep reading Tomorrow’s World magazine and watching this Tomorrow’s World program to ensure that you are not caught off guard by fast-moving events that are shaping our world.

And be sure to come back again next time when Rod McNair, Wallace Smith, and I will be right here ready to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the good news of His coming Kingdom, and the end-time prophecies of the Bible. See you right here next time.

Christianity Diverged at Council of Nicaea

2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The Council of Nicaea is considered by some to be one of the greatest achievements of Christendom. And truly, celebrating the 1700th year of anything is a historic event.

The meetings began in May of 325 ad at the small town of Nicaea, in Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. Over 300 bishops joined in the meetings. That year, 325 ad, is considered a benchmark by many in the history of the mainstream Christian church.

At the Council, the nature of Christ and His relationship to the Father was discussed and debated. But there was another issue, a very important issue, that was discussed as well.

How astounding that a conference held nearly two millennia ago is still relevant today. To commemorate such a momentous occasion, Pope Francis, before he died, planned to travel to the present-day city of Iznik in northwest Turkey, about 70 miles from Istanbul. This is the site of the ancient city of Nicaea. On November 28, 2024, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that the Council of Nicaea:

… Constitutes a milestone in the journey of the church and also of humanity because faith in Jesus, the Son of God made flesh for us and for our salvation, was formulated and professed as a light that illuminates the meaning of reality and the destiny of all history (“Pope Francis to join Orthodox patriarch in Turkey for Nicaea council anniversary,” Catholic News Agency, November 28, 2024).

Pope Francis was referring to the fact that the Council of Nicaea was convened to address questions related to the divinity of Christ, and the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Father. It’s not our purpose to delve into that issue on this program, nor is it our purpose to discuss the “Nicene Creed,” which came out of that gathering.

Passover vs. Easter Revealed a Big Problem

But as we think about the significance of the Council of Nicaea, let’s consider an issue that is often forgotten, but was causing deep divisions during that time—and maybe even has more importance for us today.

What is that issue? It’s the importance of Passover.

You might say, “Wait, that’s wrong. The Jews keep Passover. The church in the 300s kept Easter.” Well, there’s more to the story.

To begin our dive into this subject, let’s go into the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea. He was the bishop of Caesarea in Palestine from about 313 ad until his death in 339 ad. He is sometimes referred to as the “father of church history.” He played a prominent role at the Council of Nicaea and from his writings we have an in-depth and fascinating glimpse of what took place.

Let’s pick up the story in his book The Life of Constantine, Book III, Chapter 5. Eusebius wrote:

But before this time [the time of the Council of Nicaea] another most virulent disorder had existed, and long afflicted the Church; I mean the difference respecting the salutary feast of Easter… (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace eds. Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890. newadvent.org, Accessed April 30, 2025).

Now, let’s stop there. When Eusebius says “Easter” we have to understand the word he actually used was the Greek word “Pascha.” That word is derived from the Hebrew “Pesach,” which is the word from which we get “Passover.” The word “Easter” was used later, as a result of the influence of the Germans and the Anglo-Saxons. The online Catholic Encyclopedia confirms this in the article under the heading “Easter.”

“The Greek term for Easter, pascha… is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew pesach (…passover)…” (newadvent.org/cathen).

Most people are only aware of the word “Passover” by its association with the Jews. But in reality, the church leaders that Constantine convened in 325 ad were all keeping something called “Pascha.” That might be a surprise to you.

Of course, if your native language is French, Spanish, or Italian, it’s not a surprise. In these languages, the word for “Easter” is still related to “Passover.” In French it’s “Paques.” In Spanish it’s “Pascua.” In Italian, it’s “Pasqua.” It all originally comes from the Hebrew “Pesach.”

Let’s re-read Eusebius’ account, this time substituting the word “Pascha,” for “Easter.”

“But before this time another most virulent disorder had existed, and long afflicted the Church; I mean the difference respecting the salutary feast of [“Pascha”]…. For while one party asserted that the Jewish custom should be adhered to, the other affirmed that the exact recurrence of the period should be observed, without following the authority of those who were in error [meaning, the Jews].”

Emperor Constantine Decreed Easter Over Passover

You see, at the time of Eusebius and Constantine, there were different opinions about the timing of the Christian Pascha. One was that it should be connected to the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Others felt it should be kept on a Sunday, with some variation on how they determined which Sunday to keep. All these differences caused a major dispute among the churches.

Going on, Eusebius explains:

“Accordingly, the people being thus in every place divided in respect of this, and the sacred observances of religion confounded for a long period… no one appeared who was capable of devising a remedy for the evil, because the controversy continued equally balanced between both parties. To God alone, the Almighty, was the healing of these differences an easy task; and Constantine appeared to be the only one on earth capable of being his minister for this good end….”

What a statement. A major doctrinal dispute dividing the church, and the only person on earth that could resolve it was a politically shrewd, pagan Roman emperor?

Constantine Used Christianity for Power

As my fellow presenter and colleague, evangelist Wallace Smith writes in the Tomorrow’s World article “1,700 Years After Nicaea”:

The council in ad 325 was not convened under the authority of a religious leader, as one might expect, but the Roman emperor Constantine. In fact, Constantine’s fingerprints can be found all over it (“1,700 Years After Nicaea,” Wallace Smith, Tomorrow’s World, May–June 2025, p. 5–6).

Let’s talk about Constantine for a few moments. Was he a real, true follower of Jesus Christ? Or was he an astute worldly king who saw that backing the mainstream Christian church would be a golden political opportunity?

Historian Will Durant asks and answers that question in The Story of Civilization: Part III, Caesar and Christ.

Was his conversation sincere—was it an act of religious belief, or a consummate stroke of political wisdom? Probably the latter…. A real believer would have been a Christian first and a statesman afterward; with Constantine it was the reverse. Christianity was to him a means, not an end (p. 655–656).

Constantine started out his rule fully immersed in the pagan practices of a typical Roman emperor. Toward the end of his rule, he was favoring the mainstream Christian church and weakening the pagan practices he had previously taken part in. So, what caused this change?

In the book A Short History of Christianity, the authors give some background on how this happened. On page 33 we read:

Constantine believed that the Christian God had assisted him in winning his battles for control of the Empire, and he therefore desired a continuance of whatever divine help the Christian religion might afford in maintaining the peace and welfare of his rule. The political wisdom of his policy was amply vindicated in the extravagant devotion and loyalty which he received from his Christian subjects. Constantine’s own personal religion is a subject of speculation. He was not baptized until his deathbed. This much can be said with assurance: (1) his intervention in religious affairs was in large measure dictated by what he considered to be politically expedient and (2) from the beginning of his reign he increasingly identified himself with the church… (A Short History of Christianity, pp. 33–34).

Constantine Guided Nicaea More Than Jesus

So, this pagan emperor, who was gradually seeing the value of professing allegiance to the Christian God, found this new religion of his to be in a doctrinal crisis in 325 ad. That’s when he called the bishops to the Council of Nicaea. He personally presided over the meetings and guided the discussion. In fact, he had so much influence over what took place there that author H.G. Wells made this shocking statement:

A very important thing for us to note is the role played by the emperor in the fixation of Christianity…. It is very manifest that in much of the history of Christianity at this time [that is, in the 300s ad] the spirit of Constantine the Great is as evident as, or more evident than, the spirit of Jesus (“The Outline of History,” H.G. Wells, P. 552–553).

What an astonishing thing to say.

Teachings of Jesus Christ Discarded

For a church calling itself Christian to have a council to discuss doctrinal disagreements, you’d think having it guided by the spirit of Christ would be a priority. But it wasn’t.

So what happened at the Council? In particular, what happened in the matter of the Pascha? Would it remain tied to the Passover that Jesus observed, or would it be disconnected from Christ’s teaching and practice?

To answer the question, let’s go back to Eusebius. He sums up the debate this way in Chapter 14 of The Life of Constantine:

The result was that they were not only united as concerning the faith, but that the time for the celebration of the salutary feast of [“Pascha”] was agreed on by all… (Chapter 14).

In truth, it was a forced unity, a standardization by coercion. That’s what was accomplished.

After the Council, Constantine himself wrote a letter to all the churches, and this is what he said:

At this meeting the question concerning the most holy day of [“Pascha”] was discussed, and it was resolved by the united judgment of all present, that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day…. Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way…” (Life of Constantine,” Eusebius. Chapter 18).

And that was it.

Jesus Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life—Not the Roman Empire

With contempt and derision, it was declared that the Christians should have nothing in common with the Jews. But what if what was declared to be in common with the Jews was actually something God commanded in Scripture? What if it was part of Christ’s teaching in the New Testament that was banned?

Now why was this important?

Following Jesus Christ Means Worship in Truth

Well, a little background: Even by the 4th century ad there were some Christians, especially in the east, who still had a connection with the observance of Passover on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan. And those who were keeping the Passover on the 14th were following the teachings that had been handed down to them, all the way back to the Apostle John.

The testimony of Polycarp, a direct disciple of the Apostle John, attests to this. Polycrates, Polycarp’s disciple, also kept Passover in this way (“Are You a Quarto-Deciman? Should You Be?”).

You see, these faithful disciples, Polycarp and Polycrates, were simply following the biblical Christian Passover.

Jesus Kept Passover—So Should His Followers

This was plain instruction from Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Jesus kept the Passover, on the 14th day of Nisan, with His disciples the night before He died. During this observance He gave wine to the disciples to drink, as a symbol of His blood shed for them. And He gave bread to the disciples to eat, as a symbol of His body, which would be broken for them. And then He washed their feet, as a symbol of His humility.

“Do as I have done to you.”

Notice what He said at the conclusion of His last Passover observance in John 13:12–15.

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

A few years ago, there was a popular slogan “WWJD?” or “What Would Jesus Do?” Well, when it comes to doctrine and practice, we know what Jesus did. The Bible is a detailed record of what He did. And Jesus kept the Passover on the 14th of Nisan—the biblical record is very clear. And He told His followers to do so as well.

The Apostle Paul also kept the Christian Passover on the 14th of Nisan, to memorialize the suffering and death of Christ. And he taught the brethren in the church of Corinth to keep it as well. Notice what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:23–25.

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Summing up what Paul taught and what he practiced, we read in 1 Corinthians 5:7–8,

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast….

Council of Nicaea Did Not Consult Scripture

So why were some avoiding any connection to the 14th of Nisan Christian Passover by the 300s ad? In order to not look like the Jews. And they standardized the non-Jewish Paschal festival, fixing it on the Sunday following the first vernal full moon, supposedly commemorating the resurrection of Christ. That Sunday observance grew into what is known today as Easter.

By the way, Jesus was not resurrected on a Sunday. He was resurrected near the end of the Sabbath—Saturday—exactly three days and three nights after He had died on the stake. But that’s another story for another time.

Let’s be clear—the resurrection is extremely important. We base our hope of eternal life on it, as we find in Romans 8:11.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The resurrection is our hope and our future. But you can search the New Testament from beginning to end, and you will not find a single instruction or command to observe it as a feast day.

You see, Constantine really had very little interest in the truth—he just wanted everyone to be on the same page.

As the award-winning “History of Rome” podcast by Mike Duncan states:

… [t]he Emperor was not so much interested in which side was right, or which interpretation was best, so long as in the end, everyone agreed (“The History of Rome” podcast, by Mike Duncan, Episode 137, May 15, 2011).

So who will you follow? Constantine and the traditions he established to differentiate nominal Christians from the Jews?

Or Jesus Christ, who plainly outlined His clear teachings in our New Testament, for everyone to see?

Christian Unity—But Not at the Cost of Truth

We should have unity and cohesion in the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul explained that in 1 Corinthians 1:10.

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

But at the same time, Jesus Christ knows that in this age, because we are living in Satan’s world, there will be division. And the truth will sometimes be a source of that division, because not everyone will accept the truth.

Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 10:34, 36–37.

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword… and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.

The Council of Nicaea was not only convened to discuss the nature of Christ. It also was convened to settle the matter of the timing of the Christian Pascha.

The majority in the now state-religion went along with the edicts of Constantine. They kept a Sunday Pascha, which became Easter. It was now the religion of the empire, so it was the convenient thing to do.

But not everyone went along.

True Christians Keep God’s Holy Days in the Bible

Some held on to the biblical Christian Passover taught by Christ, as well as the other biblical holy days. We have proof of that in the preserved text of a sermon by a priest in Antioch named John Chrysostom. It was given in 386–387 ad. It was entitled, “Against the Jews.” Note how much he despised the Jews, but also note that his text shows there were still faithful Christians keeping the biblical Christian Passover well after Nicaea. He said this:

The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts. There are many in our ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from the Church right now… (John Chrysostom, “Against the Jews,” Homily I).

• The Feast of Trumpets
• The Feast of Tabernacles
• The Fast (called the Day of Atonement)
• And the New Testament Passover

These biblical feast days—forever established by the Creator God—were still being kept by faithful Christians 60 years after the Council of Nicaea.

Dr. Jerry Pillay is the general secretary of the World Council of Churches. He had this to say, speaking of the importance of the celebrations in 2025 to commemorate the Council of Nicaea:

It gives us the opportunity to ask afresh with others what Nicaea means for us today…. Then, as now, the call to unity was heard within the context of a troubled, unequal, and divided world (“WCC to celebrate 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea,” oikoumene.org, July 6, 2023).

This is a troubled, unequal and divided world. But let’s not forsake truth for the sake of unity. Let’s not follow Constantine—let’s follow Christ.

Thank you for watching! If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay connected. And if you want a free study guide relating to this topic, just click the link in the description.

See you next time!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

What’s Wrong With the World?

Increasingly, protesters fill the streets—waving signs and chanting slogans. They want change, and they want it now. And honestly, who can blame them? We may not agree with all their individual causes, but only the blind could fail to see that our world truly is broken. And only the heartless could not want to fix it.

How can you and I go about fixing the world? But we can. And no, I’m not just pulling your leg. Yes, the problems are big, and yes, the actions we need to take are great as well. But they are the only actions that will work. Stick with me today, and I’ll explain.

I’ll also give you an opportunity to request our free resource on the Ten Commandments. Like everything we provide our viewers, this resource is completely free of any cost or charge at all. Just keep an eye on your screen for the information you need to get your free copy.

In the 1980s, the pop duo Tears for Fears had a huge hit with the song, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” The song was written with an eye toward the ongoing Cold War between the Western world and Russia (or the Soviet Union), the potential for nuclear war, the possibilities of totalitarianism, and other social concerns of the day.

Frankly, with barely any changes at all, those are our concerns today, as well.

As a teenager listening to the song, it resonated with me, because it was clear that the world was broken. And while I might like to think I’m not ancient,” let’s be honest—I’m not a teenager anymore. And yet the world is still broken.

Current Global Issues

Even as I speak here in our studio today, major wars still rage in the Middle East and on the doorstep of Europe. Haiti continues to suffer under a “gang-ocracy,” and civil war continues to destroy the lives of millions in Sudan.

Within our nations, it is clear that racism is still very real. Poverty is still very real. Broken families are still very real. Fears of violence are still very real.

In the United States, considered by many the most powerful and successful nation in the world, suicide rates have climbed with rare interruption for the last 25 years (“Suicide,” National Institute of Mental Health, nimh.nih.gov, March, 2025).

Consider the irony of our current situation.

On one hand, we live in one of the most remarkable times in the entire history of civilization.

Scientifically, we may today understand more about how the physical world works than any other generation in the history of man. We may not yet know how to wed quantum mechanics and general relativity, but man’s comprehension of the physical laws of the universe is truly astonishing.

And our level of technological advancement has surpassed levels that many would have found wondrous even just 20 years ago. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence, we’re talking with our machines as if they were people, and some are literally drawing up plans to begin colonies on Mars.

God told Daniel that in “the time of the end…knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4)—and it has.

Yet, for all of that knowledge we’ve accumulated, the knowledge of how to actually live with each other continues to escape us.

Our attempts to address racism in recent years have made relations between the races even worse. Our attempts to expand sex and gender equality to the limits of our secular philosophies have done nothing but thrown sex and gender into utter confusion, to the point that we are surgically, chemically, and irreversibly altering children to appear as the opposite sex. Our approach to sexuality—meant to maximize human freedom and silence moral judgment—is resulting in a world of broken relationships, broken hearts, and broken families that seems to benefit no one but the makers of drugs for sexually transmitted diseases.

Even democracy and democratic republics—supposedly the best of all political systems—result these days in chaos, as stability gets thrown out the door, and each new election threatens to bring in a new party that will spend most of its time throwing out all the decisions of the previous party.

We Need to Change from Our Way to God’s Way

We all want to fix the world. The problem is that no one seems to know just how to do that.

The reality of our world was well summarized by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 59 of his book.

The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace. Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us; we look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as at twilight; we are as dead men in desolate places (Isaiah 59:8–10).

If we’re going to fix the world, we need someone to show us how. And the only “someone” who truly qualifies is our Creator, the Designer of Humanity—the God of the Bible.

God’s Answer Is the Ten Commandments

More than three millennia ago, God gave His people ten simple commands—commonly called the Ten Commandments. They can be found in Exodus 20.

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image [or idol].
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the [seventh-day] Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

These are more than just a list of “religious-y sounding rules” for children to memorize for a prize in church. They are inspired commands from the Creator of life itself—the Designer of humanity, who knows how we should live with Him and live with each other.

How to Love God and Love Your Neighbor

A careful look at the Ten Commandments reveals a structure.

Notice the first four commandments—about having no other gods, not worshiping God with carved images, not misusing His name, and keeping His Sabbath on the seventh day—are all about our relationship with Him.

And the six commandments that follow—about honoring your parents, not murdering, being sexually faithful to your spouse, not stealing, lying, or coveting your neighbor’s things—are all about our relationship with each other—what the Bible calls your neighbor.

Jesus Christ Himself talked about these two great objectives of the Ten Commandments as the greatest commands of God’s law. We see this in Matthew 22, when someone comes up to Jesus and asks Him a question.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36–40).

Look at that again, and then look at the Ten Commandments again.

You shall love the Lord your God, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

These ten simple commandments are at the very heart of the way of life Jesus came to exemplify for humanity. In fact, when a young man asked Jesus how to have eternal life, Jesus told Him:

“If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).

In fact, God’s commandments were so important to Christ that later, His beloved disciple John would say of those who claimed to be Christian:

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4).

Now that might sound odd to those of you brought up to think that the Ten Commandments were not important for Christians, or that keeping the commandments wasn’t necessary for Christians. But it is the inspired word of your own Bible.

And it doesn’t take much meditating on the commandments before you realize that keeping them would radically alter our entire world for the better.

For instance, consider the impact of a world that embraced a way of life in which children honor their father and mother like we’re told in the fifth commandment, and in which spouses are faithful to each other like we are encouraged in the seventh.

Imagine a world in which broken families became a thing of the past, a world in which children learned to respect their elders and those in authority, in families that were committed to staying together through thick and thin.

With those changes alone, how much closer to a “fixed world” would we become?

But go further.

Ten Commandments Define How to Love Others

Consider the simplicity of the ninth commandment about not lying. What a radical remake of civilization would be experienced if this value were embraced by the world!

What if honesty were considered one of the highest values of society, to the point that none would dare ever want to utter an untruthful word? What if lies were not expected of our politicians, like they are today, but were unheard of? What if everything you were ever told about the products you considered purchasing could be trusted? What if every news story you ever heard was always true and reliable?

Throw in the sixth and eighth commandments, as well, and you’d never again have to lock a door. Never again have to take the keys out of your car—or even need keys at all. You’d never have to worry about a lost child or a dark alley. Women would not need to worry about “safe spaces,” because all spaces would be safe.

Even the first four commandments—it’s easy to think those aren’t as important, but of course they are. How much trouble in this broken world is caused by religious confusion—people following gods that aren’t gods? What would it mean for the world for everyone to embrace the true Creator of the world? To worship Him how He wants to be worshiped—not according to our own ideas, which often clash and conflict with each other, but according to His own commands.

How to Change the World: Change Ourselves

Because fixing the world begins with fixing ourselves. Not in the meaningless way such talk is normally used, where “focusing on yourself” is code for simply embracing your character flaws and changing nothing.

No, we need change. I need change. You need to change. And changing the world—99.9999+ percent of which is outside of our control—begins with changing the minuscule part that is in our control. It begins with you deciding to fix your life, your family, your relationship to God, Your Creator, and to Jesus Christ, Your Savior.

Define Repentance: Deciding to Change

That decision to change—to turn around from the direction you’re going and to go a new direction, a direction taking you closer to God in obedience to His commandments instead of in continued rejection of them—that decision to change is called repentance. And it is at the heart of the message that the Son of God brought to this planet 2,000 years ago.

Don’t take my word for it—look at it with me. In Mark chapter 1, we see the very beginning of Jesus’ mission to the world and the message He brought simply put. Look in verses 14 and 15.

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14–15).

Repent. It’s not a word you hear very often anymore, sort of old-fashioned maybe. But the commands of God never go out of fashion. In fact—they are the key to fixing this world.

We Need God’s Power and Help to Change

Now, I know this will sound like I’m undermining all I have said so far, but while the Ten Commandments are vital, they’re not enough.

Even if we could somehow convince every one of the 8 billion human beings on planet Earth to begin keeping the Ten Commandments—worshiping God as He commands us to worship Him, loving our neighbor as God instructs us to—it would not be enough to fix the world.

Don’t get me wrong—it would be wonderful, at least for a while. But it wouldn’t last. How do I know? Because God proved that to us in the experience of the children of Israel.

Gathered together as a free people at the foot of Mount Sinai more than 3,000 years ago, God delivered the Ten Commandments to them—laws of life and living that would build a beautiful society. Before they entered the Promised Land, Moses made clear to them the blessing they had been given in these commands. Read it with me in Deuteronomy in chapter 4, beginning in verse 5.

Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day (Deuteronomy 4:5–8)?

Yet the history is clear. They did not keep those laws. They made covenants and agreements to do so over and over again, but then they broke them, over and over again. Faced with the good, pure, righteous commandments of God and the rich, remarkable, rewarding way of life that they make possible, their selfish, carnal, human nature won out time and again. As the Apostle Paul summarizes in Romans 8:

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:7–8).

And like they did, you will fail, too. Those who choose to turn to the Ten Commandments—the only way of life God blesses and endorses in this world, the only way to true peace and happiness, and the only way to fix the world—will find they inevitably fail. They slip up, and they sin.

“Well, that’s just great,” you might be thinking. You bring us this whole way and tell us that the Ten Commandments are the way to fix our lives and the world—and then you pull the rug out from under us! What’s going on, Tomorrow’s World guy?

Well, I can understand your frustration. But the good news—the VERY good news—is that all of those who seek to truly keep God’s commandments are NOT alone in their efforts. And the help we need is within reach.

How to Change Yourself

We just read that:

The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:7–8).

But read further.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:9).

Repent, Be Baptized, Receive the Holy Spirit

For those willing to turn and repent, God makes help available to keep His laws—His commandments. Read earlier in the same chapter.

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:3–5).

Yes, God has not abandoned us to our carnal nature. Jesus Christ died so that we may be forgiven of our sins, and He lives NOW in the lives of those who commit their lives to Him—transforming them through His Spirit so that, day by day, week by week, they learn to keep His laws and commandments, just as He did.

We see this promise of aid and transformation reflected in the words of the book of Hebrews, itself quoting from the Old Testament. Read with me in Hebrews 10, beginning in verse 16.

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:16–17).

And for those who are willing in this life to fix their own worlds—to repent and to embrace the Ten Commandments of God, and to allow Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and begin the process of transforming them, from the inside out—there really is good news ahead. Because those who have allowed Jesus Christ to fix their lives in this way, in this life, will be allowed to reign alongside Jesus Christ after His return, and to truly begin fixing the whole world.

Yes, if we really want to fix the world—truly and profoundly fix it, and make it the world of peace, joy, and contentment we’ve always longed to see—then the key is to allow God to fix our own lives first. So, in the end, if we want to join Jesus Christ in finally fixing the world tomorrow, we need to turn to Him in obedience and let Him fix our lives today.

Thanks for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay up to date on what we publish.

And if you want the free study guide related to this topic, just click the link in the description.

We’ll see you next time.