The Gary DeMar Podcast

Gary responds to a recent article by Ken Gentry that called Gary out for his views on eschatology. Gary's point has consistently been that a real exchange needs to happen between different views regarding certain elements of Bible prophecy that some (like Ken Gentry) insist have been "settled." The same hermeneutic that informs partial preterism is being used by others to defend consistent, or full, preterism.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 25 Gary answers a listener question about progressive dispensationalism about how it "differs" from the popular dispensationalism that informs the majority of end-time bestsellers sold in the last 50 years. Gary argues the progressive part of it was made necessary by the many failed prophecies of the popular interpretations.

Gary discusses the current state of the country now that President Trump has taken office. Many of the things Trump is doing in his first week in office are positive and following through on campaign promises, but some are still nitpicking his every move. Gary tries to bring some historicity, rationality, and biblical worldview to the situation.

Gary discusses several recent (and not so recent) instances of individuals leaving the Christian faith after being in it for some time. Sometimes these deconversions are called "deconstructions" and Gary highlights some examples of these and what his views are on them.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 24 Gary responds to several critics on Facebook that disagree with his interpretation of Bible prophecy. Gary gives two points of advice before jumping into a debate: 1) know what your own position actually teaches, and 2) know what your opponent's position actually teaches.

Gary explains the interaction he had on Facebook with a former pastor who has since deconverted. Alan Bondar now claims to be an atheist and even wrote a book called "How to Kill God the Easy Way" (presumably those without the book are stuck with the "hard way"). Gary ties his discussion with Bondar into the classic debate between Dr. Greg Bahnsen and Dr. Gordon Stein.

Gary discusses the recent funeral for former President Jimmy Carter. Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood sang John Lennon's song "Imagine" at the funeral at Carter's request. Gary gives some little known background information about Lennon and how he actually grew to become "embarrassed" by the words to his famous song.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 23 Gary discusses Genesis 6 and the whole "sons of God" controversy and how it gets tied in with Bible prophecy. There is an endless amount of speculation that comes from these four verses in Genesis and entire worldviews are built on it, often including UFOs and aliens.

Gary mentions five encouraging signs that he has seen recently about the state of the culture. While most of them aren't the signs that most Christians would be looking for, they each show that foundational beliefs are changing in a major way. Christians need to be informed and aware of what's happening and always ready to bring the salt and light of the Gospel and a biblical worldview every area of life.

Gary discusses two new books now available from American Vision, Gary's North's Victim's Rights and Gary DeMar's newest book Prophecy Wars. These two have more in common than might be apparent to many, but both are essentially apologetic works about controversial topics about the Bible.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 22 Gary discusses a popular interpretation of Matthew 24 that assumes a split in time in what Jesus is explaining to His disciples. Gary doesn't agree and shows how it can't be possible, especially when looking at the parallel passage in Luke's gospel and his description of the same events. See the chart that compares Matthew 24 and Luke 17 here: https://americanvision.org/images/uploads/luke-17_mathew-24-chart.pdf

In this continuation of his first lecture given to a high school class, Gary points out that religion will always exist in society. If the biblical God is not recognized in a culture, something else will always take His place. Even atheism is a religion, despite the denials of its adherents.

Gary continues his discussion about how we should respond to the grievance merchants in modern society. The Bible deals directly with this issue and gives a lot of guidance about what the proper response should be to tyranny and social injustice. Listen to Part One here. Get the R.J. Rushdoony article here: https://murraymoerman.com/3downloads/books/R.J.Rushdoony-The-Religion-of-Revolution.pdf

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 21It can be surprising the lack of understanding most pastors have about Bible prophecy. Congregants assume their pastor to be an expert when it comes to biblical issues, but this is actually seldom the case. This is not meant to demean pastors, but to reveal how many other responsibilities most pastors have on their to-do list. The popular view on Bible prophecy becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in how it gets taught and promoted.

A great way to start the new year! We must always begin with first principles in any debate. In this episode, Gary teaches students how to think about their own assumptions and foundations and why they believe what they claim to believe. Facts are important, but worldview precedes facts and interprets the facts.

Gary begins addressing the recent murder of the United Healthcare CEO and how to properly address grievances anyone may have with either an individual or a major social wrong. Long before Luigi Mangione, there was Paul Hill. Gary North wrote letters to Paul Hill after he killed an abortion doctor which are collected in Lone Gunners for Jesus. Get Lone Gunners for Jesus here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/lone-gunners-for-jesus

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 20 Gary discusses one of Hal Lindsey's lesser-known books called The Road to Holocaust. In it, Lindsey accuses what he calls "Dominion Theology" of denying the "clear teaching of prophecy" as well as promoting antisemitism (a claim still being made today). The book led Gary and Peter Leithart to respond with a small book called The Legacy of Hatred Continues. Get The Legacy of Hatred Continues and the notes from this episode here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/the-legacy-of-hatred-continues

Too much time and money, we hear, are spent on the public side of Christmas — the hustle and bustle of shopping, the lavish decorations, and the often insincere displays of seasonal piety. Meanwhile, the true spirit of Christmas gets left behind. Some even argue that all public displays of Christmas are inappropriate. Read the article on the American Vision website: https://americanvision.org/posts/let-s-keep-christmas-commercialized/

Gary continues speaking with Rick Welch of The Burros of Berea podcast about Christmas movies. Gary gives a lot of background information about several more films, including Die Hard, Home Alone, and The Three Godfathers. These older films are often dismissed as being "out of touch," but Gary shows that this is far from the truth. They are great lessons about both life and history (among other topics). Get A Christmas Carol audiobook here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/a-christmas-carol-unabridged-audiobook

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 19 Gary deals with current end-time claims about the situation in Damascus. Assad's fall in Syria has nothing to do with Bible prophecy and is not a sign of "things to come." The same several Bible verses have been applied to countless current events in the past and all have failed to come to pass.

Gary is interviewed by Rick Welch of The Burros of Berea podcast about old Christmas movies. Gary gives a lot of background information about the two films discussed in this first part (Beyond Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life). These older films can often be dismissed as "out of touch," but Gary shows that this is far from the truth. They are great lessons about both life and history (among other topics). Read Dr. Gary North's article about the economics of It's a Wonderful Life here: https://www.garynorth.com/public/18499.cfm

Christians can't live in this world without also being involved in this world. We are told often that "this is not our home," which in an ultimate sense is true, but it is our home now. We live here, we raise families here, we live and move and have our being here. Denying any responsibility and obligation to influence this world with the full effects of the Gospel is not a true biblical outlook. The Bible applies to every area of life but it requires wisdom and discernment. Christians must re-learn how to think biblically. Gary points the way forward in this talk given in McAllen, Texas a few years ago.

Gary interviews Kim Burgess about 1 Thessalonians 4 and the cryptic language that Paul uses. This is often used as a passage to prove the Rapture of the Church, but Kim has a very different view of this passage, informed by the rest of Scripture. The "analogy of faith" teaches that we allow the clear passages of the Bible to interpret the unclear, and this passage is a great example of how the analogy of faith should be practiced. Get the supplementary PDF here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/1-thessalonians-4-under-the-microscope

Ever since American Vision republished Christian Life and Character, the ignorance of objectors to the book has been swift and loud. Gary discusses some of the common objections to how Christianity has influenced American civil government and sets the historical record straight.

Gary discusses an article by Daniel Hummel about how concordances made Dispensationalism—and a "scientific" approach to Bible reading—possible. We take many of our modern study tools for granted, but each new help has brought with it challenges and unintended consequences to how we read and interpret Scripture. NOTE: This episode was recorded in 2022 before Daniel Hummel's book, The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism, was released. You can get a copy here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/the-rise-and-fall-of-dispensationalism Read Daniel Hummel's article on concordances here: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/11/concordance-context-bible-reading-dispensationalism-literal/

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 17 With the recent death of Hal Lindsey, Gary discusses his popular books and the rapture and end times that they promised yet never arrived. Scores of authors and pastors have been influenced by Lindsey's books and prophetic system, but the words they use are as elastic as the timeframes they propose about events which the Bible says were "near" in the first century AD.

Now that the two volumes of The Hope of Israel and the Nations are available, Gary thought it was a good time to interview Kim Burgess about the books and the hermeneutic they present. For those not familiar with the original podcast series, Covenant Hermeneutics and Biblical Eschatology, this episode will serve as an introduction to both the books and the 25-part series.

Gary is interviewed by Marlin Detweiler from Veritas Press about recent books he has written, American history, and how to teach and live the Christian worldview. Veritas has been a leader in Classical Education and Homeschooling for years and Gary has known Marlin for decades. The two have a great discussion about many different topics.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 16 In this conclusion to his interview with author Brian Godawa, Gary answers a question about so-called double fulfillment. Many modern Christian teachers will admit that prophecies in the NT were fulfilled in AD 70, but claim that they still await a "final" fulfillment in the future. Is this correct? How do we know? Get Gary's Matthew 24 PDF here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/free-pdf-matthew-16-and-matthew-24-study-outlines

Gary interviews author Brian Godawa about his new book, Israel in Bible Prophecy: The New Testament Fulfillment of the Promise to Abraham. Like Gary, Brian believes that Israel's modern role on the world stage has no significance to Bible prophecy and the "end times." Too many Christians blindly support everything Israel says and does because of this belief. As Brian puts it: "Anti-Zionist does not mean Anti-Semitic." Get Brian's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Israel-Bible-Prophecy-Testament-Fulfillment-ebook/dp/B06X977S2C/

Gary comments on a recent sermon by John Piper about the 2024 Election and Trump being "evil." Piper said that while he wanted people to vote, he was unhappy with the candidates. Gary agrees, but is more practical about how to approach this issue. Change takes time and not everything can be changed from without the system; some changes require working from within. Here's the article referred to in this episode: https://harbingersdaily.com/calling-the-election-of-trump-evil-john-piper-reminds-christians-why-hes-not-trusted/

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 15 Gary discusses biblical context and its importance to interpreting all Bible passages, but especially prophetic ones. Most Christians cherry-pick verses to fit their end-times system, rather than reading entire passages in the context in which they were written.

Gary is interviewed about biblical hermeneutics (the art and science of interpretation). He continues his lesson with discussions about time statements and the book of Revelation. Most Christians have never been taught these things and while it takes work and patience, there are many free online tools available that can help make the process easier. NOTE: The host's audio is very bad and used very sparingly. Gary does most of the speaking.

Gary is interviewed about biblical hermeneutics (the art and science of interpretation). He gives a quick lesson about how regular Christians can and should do it for themselves. Most Christians are never taught how to read the Bible for themselves and are left to accept what others tell them it means. NOTE: The host's audio is very bad and used very sparingly. Gary does most of the speaking.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 14 Gary discusses the history of failed "end times" and "last days" predictions. While many have made bold claims about the future, they have all been proven wrong. These false prophets have a long, long history of failure, but it never seems to cause Christians to: 1) question these repeated claims, and 2) seek out a more consistently biblical hermeneutic. The Hal Lindsey "Hero or Bum" article is here: https://americanvision.org/images/uploads/lindsey-hero-or-bum-ct.png

Gary continues his interview with Gordon Van Wechel with Alchemy Precious Metals. In this second part, Gordon discusses the worldwide demand for precious metals and how countries like China and India are influencing prices. Gold and silver also have industrial uses, which keeps their value high outside of government interventions like the Federal Reserve. (Part Two of Two) Check out Gordon's website here: https://alchemypreciousmetals.com/

Gary interviews Gordon Van Wechel with Alchemy Precious Metals. Gordon is an expert in gold and silver trading and discusses why holding precious metals as part of your long-term investing strategy is important. (Part One of Two) Check out Gordon's website here: https://alchemypreciousmetals.com/

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 13 Gary discusses a popular interpretation by modern prophecy writers and pastors about Israel being the "fig tree" spoken of by Jesus in the NT. Usually, it is interpreted as Israel "becoming a nation again" in 1948. Unfortunately for them, the math, the biblical data, and Jesus' own words do not confirm this strained interpretation. Get Gary's book here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/the-rapture-and-the-fig-tree-generation

Gary gives his thoughts on the results from Tuesday's election and Trump's win of both the electoral and the popular vote.

Two huge topics that defined the Harris/Walz platform were taxing rich people and the right to abortion. Gary points out how both of these are misrepresented to appeal to uninformed voters. Emotional appeals, even from Billy Graham's granddaughter, are used to divert people from the real truth of every matter. Get Gary's paper on The Bible and Abortion here: https://americanvision.org/images/uploads/abortion-biblical-law-and-the-civil-magistrate.pdf

Many Christians are saying that they won't vote because neither candidate appeals to them. Not voting is still a vote, and these same Christians will have to live in the world that results from whichever candidate wins. Both political parties are using their constituents and this is a problem. Things need to be done, but ignoring the problem is not a viable solution. Officer Deon Joseph video here: https://fb.watch/vCmC0hTSmF/ Gary's article here: https://americanvision.org/24584/christians-politics-and-the-upcoming-election/

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 12 Gary does a short Bible study with his granddaughter, who had a few questions about Mark 13 and Jesus' coming. Are there two comings mentioned in this chapter (the Olivet Discourse) and if so, how do we know what verses apply to which coming?

Gary discusses a few of the nonsensical claims being trotted out by leftists about the election. It's difficult to take any of it seriously, and yet it's all being said with a straight face. It's a reminder that Christians MUST be involved if only to keep things somewhat rational.

Gary interviews author Mike D'Virgilio about his book, Going Back To Find the Way Forward. Mike has a lot in common with Gary and has learned very practical ways to get involved to make a difference far beyond simply voting and complaining (as many conservatives seem to hope will make a difference). Get Mike's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Back-Find-Way-Forward/dp/1961093464

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 11 Gary gives a quick lesson on how to do biblical hermeneutics, which simply means how interpret the text. Most Christians are never taught how to read the Bible for themselves or how to use basic Bible tools. This is unfortunate and usually means Christians must depend on others to tell them what the Bible says. Get the free PDF here: https://americanvision.org/images/uploads/putting-it-all-together-microscope11.pdf Get Gary's short course on hermeneutics here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/beginners-guide-interpreting-bible-prophecy

Gary discusses a few recent news items about the political hot-potato of abortion, or more accurately, the murder of pre-born children. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and other Republicans have trouble answering questions about this topic due to their own political compromise with it. Kamala Harris' recent interview with supposed shock-jock and free-thinker Howard Stern is the ultimate example of the lack of logic being presented by abortion advocates.

One from the archives, almost exactly three years ago. The more things change, they more they don't. Political liberals are more than willing to use every means necessary to get their message out, even breaking tax laws. Conservatives and Christians seldom have this boldness. In fact, many Christians don't even see the reason to be involved. The Apostle Paul would not agree.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 10 Many modern preachers and authors are schizophrenic. On one hand they sensationalize current events as being part of the "end times" and yet also highlight how Christians must be involved culturally and politically. They don't seem to understand that these messages are contradictory and often cause their hearers to become paralyzed with indecision. Get the free PDF here: https://americanvision.org/images/uploads/bhowse-propheticschizophrenia.pdf

Picking up with Gary's interview with the Resistance Chicks from a few months back, this third part deals with Dispensationalism and how it influences both eschatology and politics. A major problem with the paradigm is how it separates God's future plans into two, with one for the Jews and another for the Church.

Gary gives a quick update on the recent donation matching challenge, and then discusses a listener question about his research methods. Gary has been doing this a long time (which helps of course), but he also points out that making mental connections between things that interest you is a helpful way to learn and remember new things.