The Fourth Man in the Furnace: The Son of God in Daniel 3

This article is part of a series on Old Testament Christophanies. For important background information, see An Introduction to Old Testament Christophanies–with Justin Martyr.  The fourth man appearing in the furnace in Daniel 3 is thought to be the Son of God by many Christians, even by those reading the chapter for the first time. The “man” […]

Justin Martyr Said That God’s Name, Jesus, Was Declared Mysteriously Through Moses

This article is part of a series on Old Testament Christophanies.  For important background information, see An Introduction to Old Testament Christophanies–with Justin Martyr. It is especially useful to read the article on Jesus in Exodus 23. Justin Martyr, the famed second-century church father, understood that it was the Son speaking to Moses from Sinai. And […]

In the Burning Bush: Jesus in Exodus 3

This article is part of a series on Old Testament Christophanies.  For important background information, see An Introduction to Old Testament Christophanies–with Justin Martyr. By the time Moses had fled from Egypt to settle in Midian, it had been over four centuries since the Lord had last appeared to anyone. The wait ended in Exodus 3, […]

An Introduction to Old Testament Christophanies–With Justin Martyr

Justin’s Testimony In his magnum opus, Dialogue with Trypho,[1] Justin Martyr taught that there were moments in history when God personally visited different people.  But it wasn’t the Father, the Holy Spirit, or God in general who made these special appearances.  It was the Son.  Since he was striving to bring a Jewish man to […]

The Premillennialism of Polycarp

Polycarp lived from about A.D. 65 to 155, and finds himself among the greatest Christians the world has ever witnessed.  He was a friend of and fellow pupil alongside Ignatius under the apostle John.  Archbishop James Ussher identified Polycarp as the angel of the church in Smyrna,[1] spoken of by Jesus Himself in Revelation 2:8.[2]  […]

The Premillennialism of Lactantius

Lucius Caelius Firmianus Lactantius was a theologian and the spiritual advisor to Constantine I.  He helped shape some of the emperor’s theology and even tutored his son Crispus.[1]  The father may have been given the name Lactantius because of the milky softness of his skin.  He was a master of rhetoric, achieving far greater fame […]

The Premillennialism of Methodius

Methodius or Eubulius lived from 260-312 A.D. and served as bishop of both Olympus and Patara in Lycia.  Jerome records that he was transferred to the See of Tyre in Phoenicia.  He suffered martyrdom at Chalcis in Greece or possibly in Syria.  Methodius is best known as a critic of Origen and his allegorical method […]

The Premillennialism of Tertullian

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, referred to by Jerome as Tertullian, was the father of Latin Christianity and of western theology.  He was born somewhere between A.D. 145 to 160 in Carthage and died somewhere between A.D. 220 to 240.  Tertullian was a skilled theologian, with an aptitude for apologetics and polemics against various heresies.  His […]

The Premillennialism of Justin Martyr

Perhaps the most overtly premillennial ante-Nicene Church father was Justin Martyr.  He was a Gentile born around 114 and was martyred in 165 A.D.   He was a follower of Plato until he became a disciple of Jesus.  Justin identified the Gospel as the only true philosophy and became an evangelist, proclaiming that truth.[1]  It would […]

The Premillennialism of Papias

Alongside Polycarp, Papias was a student of the apostle John.  He was the bishop of Hierpolis in Phrygia and was martyred in 163 AD (around the same time that Polycarp was martyred).  In addition to enjoying friendship with the apostle John, Papias intimately knew several others who had been alive to interact with Jesus and […]