Exploring Revelation: Recent Episodes
Brian Keepers
Join Pastor Brian Keepers as he engages in rich, lively conversations with guests about the book of Revelation in the Bible. This podcast accompanies the sermon series at Trinity Church titled "Unveiled Hope."
In this final episode of "Exploring Revelation," Pastor Brian Keepers welcomes back Dr. John Vonder Bruegge (professor of New Testament) and Dr. Michael Andres (professor of Theology), both on the religion department at Northwestern College (Orange City, IA). They bring this series to a conclusion as they look at Revelation chapters 21 & 22, the glorious ending not just to the book of Revelation but the entire biblical drama. What we discover is that the end points us back to the beginning, a remarkable vision of a new heaven and a new earth as the triune God makes all things new.
In Episode Six of "Exploring Revelation," Pastor Brian Keepers has a conversation with Pastor Kurt Bush and Dr. Michael Andres (Professor of Theology at Northwestern College, Orange City, IA) on the "end times" and Christ's Second Coming. Focusing especially on Revelation chapters 18-20, they talk about the cosmic spiritual battle happening behind the scenes, victory in Christ, and the "thousand years" of peace surrounding Christ's return. They also get into some of the problems with the idea of the rapture and what Revelation means when it points to the Final Judgment. This episode highlights why our theology matters and how it shapes the way we live here and now.
In this fifth episode of "Exploring Revelation," Pastor Brian Keepers has a conversation with New Testament scholar Dr. John Vonder Bruegge (Northwestern College, Orange City, IA) on "the Three M's" of apocalyptic literature (motive, method and message), God's sovereignty and human suffering, and recovering the key practice of lament in the church. Revelation shows us that while God doesn't promise us away around suffering, God does provide a way through. This podcast is connected with a sermon series at Trinity Church titled "Unveiled Hope."
In this episode of "Exploring Revelation," Pastor Brian Keepers talks with Michelle Christy (Director of Adult Discipleship at Trinity) and Dr. Laird Edman (psychology professor at Northwestern College) about the formative power of worship. In this engaging conversation on Revelation chapters 4 & 5, they discuss the central role of worship in the book of Revelation, what some of John's images and symbols mean, and how human beings are "liturgical creatures" who are shaped by what we worship and how we worship. Our worship habits get God's story into our bones and train us in a new way of seeing.
In this third episode of "Exploring Revelation," Pastor Brian Keepers and Pastor Kurt Bush continue their in-depth discussion of the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 & 3. They turn their focus to the churches of Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Engaging issues of cultural, religious, and socio-political context, they explore together what the Spirit might be saying to our churches today.
In this second episode of "Exploring Revelation" Pastor Brian Keepers and Pastor Kurt Bush engage in a conversation about the church, digging into the cultural, economic and socio-political context surrounding three of the seven churches addressed in Revelation Chapters 2 & 3: Ephesus, Smyrna and Thyatira. This is part one of a two-part series.
Revelation best fits the category of apocalyptic literature. And as apocalyptic literature, it is a highly visual book--full of images and symbols that may seem strange to us today. It's not just what St. John heard that is important, it's what he saw when he received this magnificent vision. In this first episode of "Exploring Revelation," Pastor Brian Keepers has a conversation with Professor Jeff Barker on the importance of reading the Bible imaginatively, engaging Revelation not as words on a page to be dissected and deciphered but as a literary art form that God uses to draws us in and transform us. Jeff also talks about his newest book, Performing the Plays of the Bible. Jeff teaches theater at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.