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Jon Behrens
Elijah, distressed by the behavior of Israel, turns off the rain. The resulting drought sets up the remainder of his ministry.
When this creation has served its purpose, there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth. There peace will flow to Jerusalem like a river.
Writing over a century prior to the Babylonian exile, Isaiah writes of Israel's plea from exile. There they will acknowledge that God is the potter and they are clay in His hands. This expression of sincere contrition will be the catalyst that begins the process of restoration.
Upon His return, the Messiah will lead His army and will extract vengeance upon His enemies. Throughout Scripture, a winepress is associated with God's judgment upon the wicked. At the end of the chapter, there is a prayer for mercy and the return of the exiles.
Writing of the future restoration of Israel, Isaiah invokes images of the priests and Levites in the Wilderness camp. They were supported by the rest of the nation so that they could devote their time and energy to maintaining and serving in the Tabernacle. When Israel assumes its proper role as a nation of priests, they will be supported by the nations.
God rebukes Israel for not using the legal system to promote justice. Rather they are using the courts as simply another venue for social competition. In doing this they have woven a web of laws and regulations designed to ensnare the innocent. The same charge could be leveled against us today.
The prophet rhetorically asks who or what was so intimidating that Israel turned to idols rather than fearing God. Part of the answer is that God seemed remote and uncaring whereas idols offered immediate gratification.
Here God assures even gentiles and those who have no hope that He has a place for them in His kingdom. For Israelites, foreigners and eunuchs alike, a key is keeping the Sabbath.
God's promise for the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem. Just as He made a covenant never again to flood the earth, here He promises never again to be angry with His people.
This part of Isaiah speaks of the ministry of the Messiah. The shedding of His blood will serve to heal the sins of Israel and the nations.
Because of Zion's sins, God will make / has made them drink from the cup of staggering. Once that cup has been drained, His wrath will be complete and Zion will be restored in glory. The exile of Judah was yet future to Isaiah's time. Their complete restoration is yet future to us.
The Messiah will bring the scattered exiles of Jacob back to the Land. Their numbers will be so great that the current boundaries of Israel will not suffice. In this, Isaiah prefigures the greater Exodus written of in Jeremiah 16.
Isaiah's prophecy is over a century before the Babylonian exile; yet here he predicts exile, return and the ultimate destruction of the ancient system of rebellion and false worship represented by Babylon. In this he reaches all the way to the end times.
Isaiah, writing almost a century and a half before the event, predicted the rise and career of Cyrus the Persian. He asserted that all of Cyrus' military success was attributable to the hand of God and that Cyrus would send Judah back to their land after the Babylonian exile. This prophecy so impressed the king that he not only released the Jews but financed the rebuilding of the Temple.
Men are continually tempted to make and worship idols. The prophet mocks that as foolishness and holds Israel up as a witness to the power of God in contradistinction to the futility of idolatry.
Beginning with 'Sing to the Lord a new song,' this section goes on to explain that the servant of the Lord (Israel in this case) has been scattered because of spiritual blindness. It goes on to promise that God will redeem Israel and cure that blindness.
When Isaiah speaks of the servant of the Lord, sometimes he means Israel, sometimes the Messiah. Discerning which can sometimes be difficult. In this passage, it seems to be the Messiah.
Change of subject from the Assyrian invasion to a long prophetic section of the book. Here the prophet looks forward to the exile of Judah, the coming of the Messiah and the eventual return of the nation. The futility of idols and God's love for His people will be a recurring theme in the following chapters.
Hezekiah, faced with an illness unto death during the Assyrian invasion, prayed for deliverance. God answered his prayer, granting the king an extra 15 years of life. As a sign of His favor, God backed up the shadow on the sundial by ten steps. The effects of this event are recorded as well in secular history.
In this historical interlude, the Assyrian Rabshakeh taunts the inhabitants of Jerusalem hoping they will surrender without a fight. In this he makes the mistake of asserting that Israel's God cannot save them.
The sword of the Lord, having drunk its fill in heaven turns to the earth. This passage describes the march of Y'shua from Bozrah, up through Edom to Zion. That process is His recompense for what Edom and the nations have done to His people.
Before the coming of the Righteous King, there will be a time of desolation when the crops will fail and the land will turn to thorns. In that time, upper class women who have been secure in their positions will go into mourning for the loss of their luxury.
In response to the Assyrian invasion, Judah desperately tries to form a military alliance with Egypt. The prophet informs them that their safety does not lie with men. Rather resting in the LORD will bring them salvation.
Once God has decided that Israel is to go into exile, he initiates a process that will allow the prophet to continue speaking but in a way that will not cause societal healing. To do this, he has the prophet speak in parables, removes sages and turns Scripture into a closed book.
Both Ephraim and Judah have fallen into apostasy and have made 'covenants' with the pagan gods of the underworld. God has laid a cornerstone in Zion which will be the origin of the plumb line of truth. This cornerstone, the Messiah will, sweep away the refuge of lies (pagan gods) that Israel foolishly trusts in.
The fear of death is a veil spread over the nations. It is also a great help to Satan who uses fear to persuade and control people. Messiah's sacrifice has removed the sting of death for believers and at the LORD of hosts' feast He will swallow it up forever.
The earth is defiled by its inhabitants who have transgressed the everlasting covenant. That covenant, the one made with Noah, imposes duties and restrictions on gentiles as well as Hebrews. In the end, the consequences of that transgression are world wide.
Tyre, situated on an island in the Eastern Mediterranean, was the premier Phoenician city of its day. Much of its wealth was derived from an alliance with Israel under David and Solomon. Several land based empires attempted to conquer it. Tyre withstood Nebuchadnezzar but finally fell to Alexander. This oracle foretells those events.
In this oracle, the fall of Babylon is not a good thing. Historically Babylon rebelled against the Assyrians, drawing them away from Israel and the west. Israel hoped for the success of that rebellion but was to be disappointed. In light of those events, Jerusalem would be besieged by the Assyrians.
Cush and Egypt were allies of Israel during the time of the Assyrian conquest. Since the Assyrians were God's chosen instrument, they proved insufficient. Also during these chapters we get a look forward to Apostolic times when peace would reign from Egypt to Syria.
Moab, named for one of the sons of Lot, is to be destroyed. This oracle explains that Moab's pride caused her to exacerbate the suffering of God's people during the time when Israel was being chastened by the Lord. Even though Israel's misery was caused by God, He judged the nations involved in that chastening when they engaged in 'unnecessary roughness' against His people.
Projecting the regathering of Israel, the prophet describes the ultimate disposition of Babylon. In this it becomes clear that the spiritual authority behind earthly Babylon is none other that Satan.
The New Heaven and New Earth will be as God planned it in the Garden. Man will have dominion in peace instead of by force. This will be preceded by the destruction of Babylon and the salvation and reunification of Israel.
To understand what God was doing to the Northern Kingdom, they should have referred to Leviticus 26. There Moses describes how God would react if Israel does not walk according to the covenant. His chastening would be designed to get their attention and cause them to repent. If they didn't get the message, the intensity would increase up to the point of exile. This section also describes God's disposition of Assyria.
Isaiah prophesies the exile of Israel by the Assyrians. He tells them that the Torah both predicts and explains what is about to happen. Once Israel abandons the Covenant and ignores the chastening God sends to get their attention, His Covenant specifies defeat and exile. In the midst of this gloom, He promises the Messiah.
Isaiah receives his commission directly from the Throne of God. He is told to speak to Israel in a way that they will not understand so that they will not turn from their wickedness and be healed. This teaches us that there can come a point where a nation has fallen so far that the only remedy is destruction and exile. In that event, God hides His face and speaks in parables.
God describes Israel as a vineyard that has produced wild grapes instead of the useful ones He desired. In a lament, He asks what more He could have done to prevent this sad result. The answer being, 'Nothing,' He decides to remove His hand of protection and blessing. The lesson is that God will not continue to bless a nation that has become wicked.
Isaiah lists the details of why God is displeased with Judah and Jerusalem. This is a very sobering passage of Scripture; because, allowing for differences in language, every detail could be said of the United States today.
In God's dealing with Israel, there is a definite process of prophecy. When Israel strays, the first message of the prophet is, "Repent." If they do repent, the process ends there and the prophet was successful. If not, the prophet begins speaking in parables, words of truth that will not be understood because exile is decreed. Finally Israel goes into exile at the hand of a gentile nation.
In the first four chapters, Isaiah writes of God's displeasure with the Southern Kingdom of Judah and its capitol, Jerusalem. In addition to speaking of Israel then, he speaks to us of our own situation.
Having been given favor by Boaz, Ruth is guided through the maze of Hebrew law by Naomi. Naomi's goal is leverite marriage and redemption. In this she is building up the house of her dead husband and son.
Naomi had left Bethlehem with a husband and two sons, she returned as a widow with her widowed daughter in law, Ruth. In her bitterness and poverty, Naomi did not yet know that Ruth would be to her better than seven sons.
In both of these two short letters, John speaks of the duty and limits to Christian hospitality. In one he warns against extending hospitality to those who would sow confusion about the identity of Messiah and in the other he commends hospitality to missionaries.
John closes his first letter with what seems almost like a throw away line, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Far from being a non sequitur, that line summarizes the entire letter.
John speaks of Messiah abiding in us, we in Him and we in God. The criteria for this are belief that Y'shua is the Son of God who came in the flesh and obedience to His commandments.
Loving your brother is practical, not ethereal. So if your brother has worldly needs, you shall not close your hand against him. This is Torah 101.
The love of the Father and the sacrifice of Messiah has allowed us to be children of God. In this we are, in a sense, estranged from the world because He was also.
John speaks of the Torah as both an old commandment and a new commandment. In this view, the text has not changed but our understanding of it must be adjusted in light of the sacrifice of Y'shua. His light shines upon us and allows us to understand the spirit of the Torah as well as the letter.
John is writing to address heretical confusion sown among believers as to the nature and person of the Messiah. He starts by stating that he has personally seen, heard and touched Y'shua.
The angel speaking to Daniel gives him a prophecy that extends to the end of days and covers the events of Revelation. It includes some very specific events and time spans.
After his death, Alexander's empire was divided among his four top generals. The Selucids and the Ptolemys were above and below Israel respectively. Chapter 11, describing their competition over a span of three centuries, reads like an ancient 'Game of Thrones.'
Daniel had been fasting and praying for three weeks without apparent result. In this vision, the curtain is pulled back a bit and he learns that the manifestation of answers to prayer may involve conflict among spiritual beings.
The bulk of chapter 9 is Daniel's prayer of confession and intercession for his people because he knows the time of exile is drawing to a close. In this he is a model for us as we pray for our own people. At the end of the chapter, Gabriel gives him a vision which stretches from his own time to the end of days.
Daniel's vision of the ram and the goat are prophetic symbols of the Persian and Greek empires. Daniel did not understand the vision until it was explained to him by Gabriel. For us the prophecy of 2,300 evenings and mornings are of particular interest.
With the first 6 chapters of historical background complete, the topic turns to prophecy. This first prophetic chapter describes the four empires that are of interest to Israel and her people.
The final two chapters of the historical narrative sees the end of Babylon as an independent kingdom and the rise of the Medes and the Persians. As a major figure in both Babylon and Persia, Daniel interprets the writing on the wall for Belshazzar and survives an attempted assassination via the lion's den.
When Daniel's friends remained true to character and to God by refusing to worship the state idol, they were thrown into a furnace. Their salvation from that trial was a witness to Nebuchadnezzar who gave glory to God. Nebuchadnezzar's conversion was later complete when God humbled him for a season, by giving him the mind of a beast.
Daniel and his companions were Jewish hostages to Babylon before and during the destruction of the first temple by Nebuchadnezzar. In this first vignette involving adherence to the dietary laws and the interpretation of dreams, Daniels character and favor with God are established.
Solomon wraps up the book by wrapping up a man's life. Returning to the theme that the world is designed so that it cannot be completely figured out, he counsels that one should enjoy its beauties and pleasures with gratitude toward God and with an eye to the eventual audit.
As Solomon can see the end of his days, he is concerned with passing along some of the wisdom that God has given him. Even after a lifetime of sober living, a single act of folly can spoil one's reputation. This and other parables form the bulk of chapters 9 and 10. Living skillfully in the face of uncertainty.
God has put eternity in man's heart, but He has made it impossible to figure out all the reasons for what happens 'under the sun.' So, He has enabled us to realize that this life is not all that there is, but not in such a way that everything that occurs makes sense to us.
That the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting may seem counter intuitive. It is only at the end of a life that it is known what the person did with the potential that God invested in him. In the same way, a lumber yard is full of potential, but it is the finished piece that gives that potential its ultimate value.
The seasons of life - each of us goes through seasons in his life. The events and behaviors during one season are not possible or appropriate in another. The sequence and duration of those seasons varies from person to person. A good life 'under the sun' consists of getting the most from each season.
The book begins with a note about the futility of seeking life's meaning 'under the sun'. Solomon seeks satisfaction in life by employing all of the resources that wealth and power can provide. He discovers that that which is attainable using only the senses is ultimately unsatisfying.
The prophet speaks about divorce, robbing God of tithes and offerings and the Day of the Lord.
Introduction and historical background. The prophet's rebuke of Israel and its priests.
Laws do not exist in a vacuum. They represent a vision of what an ideal society should look like. That vision, in turn, comes from the stories and history of the people who make those laws. This is true for Israel and for the United States.
Reflecting on the Jewish holiday of Channukah and the American one of Thanksgiving, it becomes obvious that both are the same celebration. In both cases a large and powerful government had begun to treat God's people as chattel. In both cases the people threw off the government and established one more in line with God's word. The subsequent holidays were to remind their descendants of God's grace and aid in the struggle.
Titus was one of Paul's disciples who got dispatched to handle various ministry problems. He figured prominently in the early church debate over circumcision and whether gentile converts needed to obey rabbinic law. In this letter Paul cautions against following the advice of members of the Circumcision Party.
People naturally divide into tribes, either by birth or by culture. In America, we have both, but the most divisive is over culture. In trying to reach people for God, it is important that we speak to them in terms their culture regards as important. The speaker is Matt Behrens
There's more to the story of David and Bathsheba than you were probably told in Sunday school. The lady was quite the power player in Biblical Israel.
Biblically, the soul is often presented as both part of and apart from a man. In this, it is likened to a man marrying the daughter of the king. While she and he are one flesh, she still speaks to her father about things going on in their household. Similarly, as her husband the man is responsible for her care and well being. Finally, although he knows her intimately, there are things going on in her head and heart that he will never understand.
David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Upon being confronted by Nathan the prophet and realizing his sin, David pleaded with God to accept his repentance and restore his heart to right relationship with his Lord.
In the pagan world, the phenomena of nature were regarded as manifestations of celestial bureaucrats, one for storms, another over the sea, yet another for fertility, etc. In Israel, God was over all but within none. He is the cause of everything and shares His glory with none other.
Discussion of the Lamb's Book of Life; how one gets written into it and who will not be so written. The final judgment, the New Heaven and New Earth and the fate of the nations.
The Thousand Year Reign, the final defeat of Satan and the Great White Throne Judgment.
Great rejoicing over the fall of Babylon. Discussion of who and what Babylon is. The marriage of the Lamb. Discussion of who the bride is. The Rider on the White Horse and the Thousand Year Reign.
The nations of the Earth mourn over the destruction of Babylon. Who is Babylon and what does she represent?
The Seven Bowls of Wrath - the King takes vengeance on His enemies. The bowls mirror the plagues brought on Egypt during the Exodus. The Whore of Babylon - who is she and what is her history?
The angel with the sharp sickle and the harvest of the earth. The commissioning of the seven angles who are to pour out the bowls of wrath.
Prophetic interlude between the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Bowls of Wrath. Begins with biblical background about the birth of Messiah and Satan's fall from heaven. Describes the Beasts and their powers. The meeting of the 144,000 with the Lamb. The messages of the Three Angels and the harvest of the Earth.
The two witnesses in Jerusalem. Who might they be and what is their purpose? The Seventh Trumpet when the Messiah returns. Where have we seen that before?
The seven trumpets mirror the conquest of Jericho in the Book of Joshua. Similarly, the censer of incense hurled to the earth echos Korah's rebellion in the Book of Numbers.
The sealing of the 144,000. What is the Scriptural background for their choice, who are they and what is their mission?
As the Lamb opens the scroll's first six seals, events happen on the Earth. Where are we in the sequence of seals and what are the events that are yet to come?
The Lamb and the scroll. What does the scroll represent? A discussion of how deeds were handled in Israel.
Looking at the end times through the eyes of John. How should we approach this subject? John had a perspective that grew out of who he was and his experiences. We have data that suggest he was a priest. That training and perspective will help us understand his visions of the end times.
The Church at Laodicea is famous for being neither hot nor cold. Because of this lack of heat, they have no energy to do any works. Being spat out of Y'shua's mouth is by way of getting their attention.
Philadelphia is complemented only for her patient endurance. Ephesus and Thyatira also have patient endurance, but those two churches are complemented for other things as well. Hence, by the time we get to Philadelphia, faithful endurance is all that remains - which is enough.
Sardis, the church that believes that it is alive but is dead in the eyes of God. From the world's perspective, this church is doing fine, but lacks the fruits of the Spirit.
Thyatira is a church divided over sexuality and dabbling with idols. Those on the side that have learned the 'deep things of Satan' and will be lost.
Pergamum, the church where Satan dwells, has compromised with the world. It has taken in pagans without doing a thorough job of changing their beliefs. Hence, there are those who espouse sexual immorality.
Smyrna will be subject to persecution and death at the hands of the synagogue of Satan. They are promised resurrection and life if they are faithful under that trial.
Yeshua's letter to the Ephesian church contrasts doctrinal purity with love of the Messiah.
Yeshua's kingdom parables given in the Gospel of Mathew correlate perfectly with the seven letters to the churches in Revelation. They also correlate with Paul's pastoral letters. Studying them together gives a perspective on the state of the kingdom from three time perspectives: pre-crucifixion, post-resurrection and apostolic age.
Y'shua says He has the keys to Death and Hades. What does that mean? How are keys used elsewhere in Scripture? Do those other Scriptural references help explain His words?
Perspectives on the study of Revelation, revealing the person of the Messiah who was, who is and who is to come.
Division of the Land among the tribes and order of service within the millennial temple. A healing river flows from the Altar into the world.
The prophet is shown a vision of the millennial temple where God will dwell among His people forever. The messenger who describes this structure says that its description is to bring Israel to repentance.
In the future, God will summon Gog and Magog into battle with Israel. A battle that they will lose.
In 35, God rebukes Edom for the way they behaved when Israel went into exile. In 36 and 37, Ezekiel talks about end times and the new covenant. Then He will return Israel to her land and replace their heart of stone with a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel turns from the surrounding nations to Israel herself. Chapter 33 begins with a discussion of the relation between the people and the watchman. It speaks about the case of a wicked one who heeds the watchman as well as a righteous one who commits violence and oppression. Chapter 34 deals with God's opinion of the shepherds who are not caring for His flock.
This is the final section of prophecies against the nations who have dealt treacherously with Israel. Here God deals with Egypt, predicting its defeat by Babylon because it failed to honor its treaty with Israel.
This series of chapters concerns God dealing with the nations surrounding Israel. He accuses them of taking inappropriate advantage of Israel while He was using Babylon to chastise her. A great deal of this section concerns Tyre and we get a glimpse of the spiritual power behind the King of Tyre.
The allegory of the two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, Samariah and Jerusalem. God describes the descent of Israel into spiritual and physical depravity and decrees destruction and exile.
God judges nations as well as individuals. The sense of this section is that Judah has become so corrupt and wicked that it is to be destroyed. In that destruction, the righteous will neither be a protection nor will they survive. This is cautionary for believers who avoid politics in the belief that they will be protected if they keep their own skirts clean.
Chapter 19 is a lamentation over the end of the Davidic line when Israel is taken to Babylon. In chapter 20 the elders of Israel come to inquire of the Lord via Ezekiel. God informs them that inquiring of Him while they are still in idolatry is a waste of time.
As God discusses the coming destruction of Jerusalem with the prophet, we get an insight into how He decides whom to spare and whom to destroy. We see that the presence of the righteous within a city serves to protect the rest of the people. We also get a foretaste of the destruction to come in Revelation.
While in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed because of her violence and injustice. He dealt with the corruption of both the religious and the secular leadership. He explained that not only had they been exiled for idolatry, but they had not learned their lesson and had taken their idols with them into exile.
During the interval between Babylon's first and second conquests of Israel, God decides to leave the temple because of the violence and injustice of Israel. The events here are a fulfillment of Moses' prophecies in Deuteronomy. Finishes with the New Covenant.
God speaks through the prophet to the land of Israel. He laments the fact that His bride has become unfaithful to Him by worshipping idols. He says that once the marriage covenant is broken, the land will no longer support the people.
God instructs Ezekiel that he is to give Israel specific notice of her sins and their punishment. He does this by acting out the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, lying on his side for 390 days.
Ezekiel was a prophet to Israel at the beginning of the Babylonian exile. In this first chapter, he describes a vision of God's throne.
Paul gives relationship advice to new believers who were once pagans including a discussion of Biblical slavery. What it means to put on the full armor of God.
The Church in Ephesis had grown mature in the Word, but it had fallen short in its love for people.
What it means to hold Messiah in your heart. The second half of the letter beginning in chapter 4 is different in character than the first half. It discusses how to walk according to your high calling and maintain your first love.
Discussion of salvation by faith and how it relates to the works that God created us to do. Also discussion of God's method of dealing with the rebellion in Heaven.
In the letter to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation 2, Yeshua (Jesus) corrects that church for having lost its first love. What was that first love, and how does He suggest that they regain it? How does Paul's letter address the same subject some half a century earlier?
Introduction to the correlation among the seven Kingdom Parables, the seven letters in Revelation and Paul's seven pastoral letters. These three sevens each address the same subject from a different time perspective: pre-crucifixion, post-resurrection and apostolic era.
The heroes of the faith listed in chapter 11 all died without having realized the full promise of God and His covenants. All lived with the faith that those promises would be fulfilled in His time. We also live in a time when here are promises yet to be fulfilled. Encouraged by their example we too must live in faith as they did.
Faith (or its twin fear) is the human faculty that permits humans to operate in the time stream. Since we cannot see into the future, we must imagine the future we want and then exercise faith to bring it about.
With the exception of Yom Kipur, the sacrifices under the Torah were not intended to cover intentional sin. The blood of Messiah does cover such sin. Therefore, it supersedes. This assures us that our sins are forgiven and that we may freely approach God.
Covenants are 'cut' which means that the blood of an innocent victim is required for ratification. The New Covenant is no exception. Here we discuss the Tabernacle which is a model of man's relation to God in the present age.
The words of the Torah are eternal, the medium upon which they are written is not. They were meant to be written on hearts of flesh not on tablets of stone. The New Covenant will rectify that.
Melchizedek is unique among major Biblical characters in that he has no genealogy and no record of his death. Hebrews makes use of this point to show that he, conceptually, is an eternal priest. As such, he serves as a prototype for a priestly order separate from that of Aaron. That Y'shua is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek is established by Psalm 110. Hence, Y'shua is a priest forever.
Priests are chosen to represent men to God. In this office it is essential that they have the temperament and experience to understand our nature and our weaknesses so that they can represent us sympathetically. Y'shua meets these criteria.
Moses delivered the Gospel to the generation that he led out of Egypt. It did not profit them, however, because they did not mix the Word with faith. Because of that lack of faith, God did not allow them to enter His Sabbath rest, and so they died in the wilderness.
At the creation, God gave mankind dominion over the earth and all of its creatures. That dominion was not revoked when we ate of the forbidden fruit. Thus, for Messiah to be king over all the earth, he must be a man. This chapter of Hebrews makes that point.
Written to the Jews, Hebrews proves from the Old Testament that Y'shua is the Messiah of Israel. In this first chapter He is presented as God's heir and superior to the angels. The chapter ends by introducing the heirs of salvation to whom angels are sent to minister.
The end of the initial phase of the conquest of the Land. The Eastern tribes are released to return to their inheritance where they build a memorial altar. This is misunderstood by the Western tribes and causes them to threaten war. Joshua renews the covenant and gives his people a final charge.
After driving the Canaanite kings off of the Saddle of Benjamin, Joshua conquered the southern half of the land. He then turned north where the enemy had a great advantage in chariots as well as terrain favorable to mounted warfare. Joshua negated that advantage by striking them in their mountain assembly area.
Gibeon sits astride the Saddle of Benjamin and as such is strategically vital to the conquest and holding of the Land of Israel. Joshua knew this as did the Canaanite kings in the south. When Gibeon made a covenant with Israel it became the center of a major battle during which God fought for Israel.
Unbeknownst to Joshua, Achan had disobeyed God and taken spoil from Jerico. This caused Israel to be routed in what should have been a minor skirmish at Ai. Correction of that sin was expensive indeed.
Because of the presence and favor of God, Joshua does several things that are very unorthodox from a military point of view. As an example, no normal commander would cross a river into enemy territory and then incapacitate his troops for three days via circumcision.
Crossing the Jordan represents a bookend to the time in the wilderness which began with the crossing of the Red Sea. In Exodus they left enemy territory and 'the world' behind; here they are reentering the world and facing a time of war and conquest.
Introduction to the book and to the terrain. This book describes military operations which are dictated in part by the shape of the ground. Having a map in hand will be helpful as you listen. Joshua sends spies into Jerico where they are sheltered by Rahab. In return for her help, Rahab extracts a promise of protection from Joshua's spies.
God enters the conversation, rebukes Job's friends and gives Job an opportunity to present his case. Wisely, Job simply falls down in worship. At the end, Job forgives his friends and God restores to him double what he had lost. God's soliloquy is some of the greatest poetry ever written.
In this second half of Elihu's statement, he gives a beautiful poem to the greatness of God. In this, he urges Job to consider his own insignificance in relation to God's majesty. Everything he says is true, but does not actually apply to Job's situation.
Elihu has not spoken because of his youth, yet he does not find Job righteous. He believes that God does not punish for vengeance sake. Rather, punishment is meant to turn man from the path of destruction and set his feet on the path of righteousness.
Having heard the accusations of his three friends, Job offers a summary defense of his life. He goes through a list of things that men do to be considered wicked and declares that he as never done any of them.
Bildad expresses a common Christian belief, that it is inherently impossible for any man to be pure in God's eyes. Job answers that he understands the vast gap between man and God. He says, however that man is God's creation and is not inherently evil.
Eliphaz accuses Job of acting like he believes he is doing God a favor by following His laws. He also believes that the calamity that his befallen Job is less than what his secret behavior deserves. Job's reply is that God is just but His timing is not in man's hands.
Zophar dogmatically asserts that God punishes the wicked and that Job's condition proves that he is unrighteous. Job counters with examples of the wicked prospering.
In his second speech, Bildad describes what the wise believe is in store for the wicked. Since those very things are happening to Job, his accusation is that, despite what everyone had believed about him, Job is a wicked man.
Eliphaz rebukes Job for insisting on his own wisdom. He says that Job's stiff neck is what is hindering God from showing him mercy.
Zophar, the third of Job's friends to speak, opines that Job is getting far less punishment than he deserves. In this Zophar is presuming to understand both the mind of God and the heart of Job. The first is logically impossible and the second is presumptuous.
Bildad's first accusation: God does not do any injustice, therefore Job's problems are of his own making. Job's reply is that he is innocent, but there is no court to which he can go for justice when God is the accuser.
Eliphaz, the first of Job's friends to speak, rebukes Job for claiming that he is righteous and does not deserve the woe that has befallen him. Job answers that his friend's comfort is no comfort at all and the he is indeed righteous.
In this introduction, God challenges Satan with Job's righteousness. Satan's response, that Job is fundamentally physical and not spiritual, sets up the rest of the book.Satan takes everything away from Job in the belief that he will eventually lose his faith and curse God.
This final session in the Elijah-Elisha series comes full circle when Elisha completes a task originally given to Elijah at Mt. Sinai. This indicates that God, in a sense, does not regard the person of the prophet important so much as the word spoken through him.
Being a prophet of God was tough duty. Very often powerful people did not appreciate what you had to say and would have you to be slapped around or worse. The Syrian siege of Samaria.
As a prophet, Elisha wields the power of God with a confidence and accuracy that seems more like sight than faith. He cures Naaman the Syrian of leprosy in so casual a manner that Naaman does not initially have any faith that the cure will work.
The beginning of Elisha's office as successor to Elijah. This session contains the Moabite rebellion and the raising of the Shunamite woman's son.
Jezebel conspires to steal a vineyard by murdering its owner. Idol worship eventually leads to murder and Jezebel is not above murder to obtain what she wants. Elijah passes on his mantle to Elisha.
Jezebel, having co-opted her husband, the king, imported prophets of her own god, Baal. Elijah set up a confrontation with those prophets at Mount Carmel.
Elijah, distressed by the behavior of Israel, turns off the rain. The resulting drought sets up the remainder of his ministry.
If God expects us to understand what is true and to follow that truth, it must be possible for us to figure that out using the minds He has given to us. This short study has explored Jeremiah's answer to that problem.
Society in Israel was coming apart. The nation knew the Word of God and had access to the remedy for their plight; yet they refused to apply that knowledge and heal their society. The elites believed that they were secure and exempt from the consequences of their wickedness, and so were surprised when death entered their city like a thief. This should sound eerily familiar to us.
In God's eyes the Temple has become like a hide-out where robbers flee for safety. They go there to hide until pursuit dies down, not to repent of their sins. For this reason, the building is no longer truly the Temple and it cannot give sanctuary to the nation.
Jeremiah is speaking truth to Israel in Biblical fashion which is difficult to understand today because our thought process is essentially Greek. One of the Biblical techniques is the maschil; typically a poetic couplet. The couplet is open ended and is designed to evoke reflection and discussion. In this chapter, the prophet is saying that Israel has fallen into wishful thinking which has lead them away from God.
Following the truth, God's way, will over time lead to happiness and prosperity. Both Israel and the United States followed His way for an extended period of time and flourished. They then entered a time of error during which they consumed all of the good that previous generations had built up.
To the extent that our society and its education system derive from classical Greece they ill equip us to understand Scripture. The Bible's way of presenting truth is very different. We read Scripture and think we understand it because the words are familiar. Jeremiah will correct our understanding if we will allow it. Judah did not.
Truth is so precious and rare that people go to great lengths to counterfeit it. In this introduction we discuss the difficult problem of separating truth from opinion.
Paul takes his final sea voyage to Rome. The ship is caught in a storm and wrecked on the island of Malta. The book ends with Paul continuing his desire to bring his brother Jews to a knowledge of Y'shua.
In his final event before being sent to Rome, Paul appears before Agrippa. He tells of his conversion to the Way and demonstrates from the Scriptures that Y'shua is the Messiah.
After Paul's arrest in Jerusalem, he goes before the council where he causes a riot when he asserts that his only crime is believing in the resurrection. He is spirited away by night to Caesarea where is appears before Felix, the Roman governor.
In Jerusalem, Paul meets with James and the elders who discuss how to address the rumors that Paul is teaching a new religion. They decide that he will consecrate himself along with others who are coming to the end of their Nazerite vows and that he will publicly sacrifice in the Temple. This includes a discussion of Paul's attitude toward Moses.
On his way to Jerusalem for the final time, Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian church. The subject of his remarks echos the first of the Kingdom Parables in Matthew. They also presage his pastoral Letter to the Ephesians as well as Y'shua's Letter in Revelation 2. These four passages of Scripture address the same subject from different time perspectives.
Stops on Paul's route back to Israel. In the manner of all religious hucksters, the silversmiths in Ephesus tried to elevate their economic interests to the status of a conflict between piety and blasphemy.
Paul's speech in Athens about the shrine to the Unknown God. The introduction of Apollos. The baptism of repentance as opposed to baptism in the name of Y'shua.
Circumcision, standards for gentile behavior and salvation were burning questions in the early Church. The Council of Jerusalem debated and answered those questions.
Peter is arrested by Herod and kept in prison pending display before an hostile crowd. An angel delivers him from captivity.
Peter is arrested by Herod and kept in prison pending display before an hostile crowd. An angel delivers him from captivity.
Food and table fellowship has always been a stumbling block between Jews and gentiles. Peter's vision of the sheet descending from Heaven showed him that diet does not disqualify gentiles from the Kingdom of God.
Philip's ministry in Samaria and his conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch. The conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus.
When Stephen is falsely accused of blasphemy he defends himself before the council in Jerusalem. The record of his testimony provides compelling evidence of the accuracy of the Book of Acts.
The first church lived communally, holding everything in common. This may have been done in anticipation of the quick return of Y'shua and the expectation that there was no need to save for the future. Peter and John's second arrest and appearance before the Temple authorities.
People's need for an intermediary with God discussed in the context of 'The Prophet' promised in Deuteronomy 18. Peter and John's first arrest and appearance before the Jerusalem authorities. Discussion of their citation from Psalm 2.
Peter's speech after the giving of the Holy Spirit. Discussion of the differences in Scripture between the TANAK and quotations in the New Testament. Discussion of the similarities between the giving of the Holy Spirit and the giving of the Torah at Sinai.
Broadly speaking, the Bible has three sections. In each of those sections, one member of the God Head takes center stage. In the TANAK God the Father gets most of the narrative. In the four Gospels, it is Y'shua. In Acts the Holy Spirit has the emphasis. This first session gives background and goes through Pentecost.
This parable, where a father has broken relationships with both of his sons, may be a metaphor for Ephraim and Judah. The younger son has been gone for millennia. What will be the attitude of the older brother when he returns?
In this set of Luke parables, Y'shua contrasts the Kingdom of God as it existed in first century Israel with the Kingdom as it should be. Healing on the Sabbath, the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven.
In Luke 12 and Luke 16 Y'shua gives a discourse on what He expects of the managers over His kingdom during the time of His absence. In Luke 12 the master is away at a wedding and will return at a time the servants do not expect. In Luke 16 the parable of the dishonest manager turns on the manager's estimation of the character of the master.
The Luke 16 discouse on God and mammon is a continuation of the running conflict Y'shua had with the Pharisees over money. The Pharisees, being lovers of money, had a warped attitude toward the things of this world.
In the context of his pronouncing woes over the Pharisees, in Luke 12 Y'shua discusses the proper attitude toward the wealth of this world.
Conflict between Y'shua and the Pharisees and lawyers. Discussion of the six woes he pronounces against them in Luke 11.
Y'shua speaks about the Kingdom of God. At first, He speaks of the state of the Kingdom as He finds it. He then speaks of the Kingdom as it will be in the future.
Second half of Y'shua's discourse on prayer containing the Unjust Judge and the Publican and the Pharasee.
In the Luke travel narrative, Y'shua teaches his disciples about prayer. This includes the Lord's Prayer, the parable of the Friend at Midnight, the Unjust Judge and the Publican and the Pharisee.
During his final journey to Jerusalem, Y'shua told a series of parables which are recorded in Luke. The first and last of these provide answers to the question, 'What shall I do to inherit eternal life?'
While every generation is tested in its faith, the tests are different depending on time and circumstance. The Bible records that even the generations to whom God spoke directly and audibly lost confidence in critical situations. How then are we to act with confidence in today's world?
A child starts out as the uncorrupted image of God. The world tries over a lifetime to move him away from that image. How are people of faith to maintain their initial simplicity over their lives?
In John 8 Y'shua declares that His disciples will obtain freedom through knowing the truth. What are the consequences of believing a lie either nationally or individually? How does one discern that he has bought a lie? What should he do about it?
For something to be good news, it must meet some need or expectation of the hearer. The Jews were looking for something very different than were the pagans. As such, Y'shua gave each what he was looking for. Today many Jews do not accept the Gospel because they have come to believe that it simply tacks pagan myth onto the Tanak. This is not true.
Biblical books of prophecy have four elements: a diagnosis of the societal problems that moved God to send the prophet, God's remedy for those problems, a list of consequences should that remedy not be applied, and hope for eventual restoration. Revelation, which is addressed to the church, follows that pattern. That leads to the conclusion that we should take the diagnosis to heart and apply the remedy so we can avoid the consequences.
In the Torah there are both mandatory and voluntary sacrifices. So too with giving. Tithes are mandatory; offerings are voluntary. In the mandatory, God is training our souls to be generous just as He is generous.
Twitter and other social media have become the vehicles of choice for those wanting to silence or destroy religious conservatives. Their technique is relentless accusation and libel. In this the accusers represent the seed of the serpent. Or as Y'shua said, '...your father, the Devil.' How does one counter such tactics?
In a world where the landmarks God designed for our guidance are being destroyed, our roles in life have become confused. John says that Y'shua has given us the right to become children of God. What does that mean? How should that role shape our goals in life?
Many today are lost, confused and angry because the landmarks that God designed to orient our lives have been destroyed. These landmarks are the roles that each of us is designed to fulfill in life. Without them, the goals that we hope to achieve become confused, frustrating and ultimately impossible to achieve.
Human life has five great events: birth, life in the body, physical death, resurrection and life eternal. Messiah is the Firstfruits of the resurrection from physical death. Today we celebrate the promise of our resurrection that the harvest to follow will be great.
Forgiveness is perhaps the most difficult lesson to learn; yet its fruits are among the sweetest. Practical advice on how to get there.
The Bible presents a grim picture of the human heart. From Genesis through the New Testament it is described as evil. That means that popular advice to, 'Follow your heart,' is not wisdom. God has devised a program to train the heart into something pleasing to Himself. He does this with the laws in the Torah.
Hardness of heart is a major theme of the Bible. In the Torah, Pharaoh is the poster boy for the condition, but it is also a major theme of Y'shua in the New Testament. A hard heart prevents one from seeing the hand of God working in the world. In Luke Y'shua indicates that a hard heart could cause one to miss the signs of His second coming and so be taken by surprise.
Much of the world seems deranged today; what should be our response? The Scriptures say that, 'Rivers of living water will flow from our hearts,' and that this river is for the healing of the nations. How do we apply this while wearing the full armor of God?
There are two versions of the Great Commission. In Matthew, Y'shua speaks as the king, commanding his followers to make disciples of the nations. If we are to recover what has been lost over the past 100 years, believers must take discipleship seriously.
On Yom Kippur, the emphasis in most people's minds is on atonement, the covering of sins. While that does happen, from a Scriptural perspective, it does not seem to be the central idea. Rather, the day represents a recreation of the events at Sinai when Israel was in the presence of God.
In creating humanity, God gave His creation a voice. Using your voice in prayer is your highest calling.
In the Garden, the two trees present each us with the choice of who is to decide good and evil. Deciding to make those choices ourselves leads to evil and death, both individually and societally. Giving the choice to God leads to blessing and life.
The world is designed to be difficult. As we go through life it is tempting to focus on all that is wrong or stressful. God commands us instead to be joyful. How is this possible?
On Yom Kippur, the emphasis in most people's minds is on atonement, the covering of sins. While that does happen, from a Scriptural perspective, it does not seem to be the central idea. Rather, the day represents a recreation of the events at Sinai when Israel was in the presence of God.
The month of Elul is a time of spiritual preparation for the Fall Feasts. It is a time to reflect over the past year, plan for the next and repair broken relationships. The time is short, the King is coming.
Hearing and remembering are dominant themes in Deuteronomy. These two form the basis for faith, obedience and gratitude - all characteristics which Moses said would allow Israel to thrive in the Land.
The world today is a fairy-land of wishful thinking, illusion and deception. Figuring out what is actually true is difficult. Both Y'shua and Jeremiah give practical, Biblical advice on how to find the truth in the midst of all the lies.
The Bible is an intensely practical political manual. It covers all aspects of how people are to organize and behave so that they will thrive. The American church has been cut out of politics by the tax authorities and so has neglected its heritage of political activism and become irrelevant in many areas of public life.
The parables in Luke form a structured whole. Each has both an homiletic and an eschatological application. The Good Samaritan is told in the context of eternal life and describes Messiah's care for the wounded as well as his promise to repay kindness upon his return..
Seeing all of the cultural chaos around us, it would be easy to despair. Such an attitude is neither Biblical nor is it warranted. That we are actually winning is obvious from the behavior of our enemies.
We are living through an age when the dominant ethos is perpetual adolescence. This has roots going back several hundred years but has really accelerated since WWII. The upshot of this is the accelerating destruction of history and tradition. It has gotten to the point where people don't even know what bathroom to use. What is an adult to do during such evil times?
Throughout history, God has always been with His people. In the wilderness, He was in the Tabernacle. During the time of the Gospels, He was here in the person of His Son. Now His Spirit is with us. The Spirit's ministry and mission are laid out clearly in the Book of John.
In the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, Y'shua comforts the poor and excoriates the rich. Wealth is a training and testing vehicle for the poor and the rich alike. God's heart is open and flowing with love and sustenance for us. Since we are creatures in the image of God, it should be our goal to train our hearts to be open and generous. How does one do that?
Speech is our most powerful faculty, either for good or evil, thus it is important that one study the laws of proper speech. This talk discusses evil speech, hurtful speech and courageous speech. Evil speech - lashon hara - is speech that damages a third party. Hurtful Speech - ona'as devarim - is speech that damages the one spoken to. Courageous speech expresses joy and hope in the face of a society that encourages cynicism and negativity.
Christian churches in the United States and Europe have lost their effectiveness in shaping the culture. Why is this so, and what should believers do about it?
God chose to tell us about Himself using the vehicle of a book. If people understood what the book is trying to do and how it should be read, there would be a lot less junk theology. Torah means teaching, not law, so the Bible should be read as a guide book. As an example, this talk covers the two creation stories in Genesis - why there are two and what we are to learn from that.
In God's economy it is only possible to be in one state at a time. Thus, in Numbers 3, God explains that He is trading the Levites for the firstborn of Israel because it is not possible to have two firstborns. Similarly in John 3 Y'shua explains the Nicodemus that he is either born again or he is not. He cannot be in two states at once. Understanding how state works opens up understanding of quite a few biblical concepts.
Forgiveness is a genuinely difficult subject. Dr Stephen Marmer has broken forgiveness into three more manageable chunks - exoneration, forbearance and release. Each concept applies to different situations and calls for different actions on your part. This can bring Y'shua's (Jesus') command to forgive much closer to where we live.
The Parable of the Sower, Paul's letter to the Ephesians and Yeshua's (Jesus') letter to the same church in Revelation 2 all deal with the same subject - handling the Word of God. As time progressed, the church at Ephesus was faithful in preserving and using the Word. However by the end of the first century they had lost their first love. How do we avoid the same situation and still handle God's Word properly?
The outbreak of literal insanity we are seeing today has its intellectual roots in the Reformation. The Reformation broke free from the authority of the Church and enshrined reason instead. We are seeing the end of the pendulum swing away from external authority toward self authority. We need sound judgment about these things.
After His resurrection, Y'shua commanded His disciples to carry the Gospel to all the creation. What exactly is this Gospel?
During the season from Passover to Shavuot we count the Omer. This strange commandment is the key to hidden depth of meaning and ultimately to joy. There are two sequences of 7x7+1 in the Bible, the Omer and Yovel. This talk correlates those two sequences to learn something about the nature of God.
Isaiah 29 describes the process of exile. God shuts down prophets, seers and closes the book. Isaiah also describes how that process is reversed. It's looking like we're living during such a time. If that is true, we have responsibilities during this time.
With the current court rulings on homosexual 'marriage' and health care, the government has forfeited the pretense of moral authority. Now words mean whatever the strongest say they mean. Curiously, this presents a great opportunity for believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Being surrounded by hostiles simplifies our problem greatly.
In this world, God gives us wealth to motivate us, to sustain us and to test us. Perhaps the most difficult test in one's life (and the most common) is how he handles the wealth that God gives. There are simple Biblical principles on how to gain wealth and then use it in a way that is pleasing to God.
Joy is a major theme in Scripture and in certain cases we are commanded to rejoice. What is joy and how does one summon it on command?
It is not uncommon for Messianics to lose sight of the truths they learned in the Sunday Church when the discover the richness of the Torah. Using only the Exodus story, this talk demonstrates that Y'shua is the Lamb of God and that His death and resurrection atones for the sins of the world.
In light of the terrible events in the world, how should we look upon God's promises to be with us as we go through this life?
Some in the Messianic movement come out of the Sunday church and slide right into Judaism losing the Savior in the process. A Savior is central to God's purposes for His Creation and this talk explores some of the reasons for that.
Why do we persist in following God in the face of all of the difficulties this world makes for believers? Y'ashua says that He is the Way. A way or path should be leading toward a goal. In His case, the Way leads to life.
The generation that left Egypt and died in the wilderness is often regarded as a failure. I do not entirely accept that because they lived 40 more years and died in the hope and promise that their journey would be completed by their children. Just so with we who live our lives waiting for Messiah's return. We may not see that event, but we faithfully live our lives in the hope that our children will. Herein lies the difference between cyclical time and the hope embodied in linear time.
Torah portion Behar discusses the seven and fifty year cycles of release. It includes the responsibility of the community to redeem land and persons who have been sold. These commandments translate directly into the Book of Revelation and the final redemption of the earth and all its people.
The Bible exhorts us to 'love your neighbor as yourself,' but what does that mean and how does one actually do it? As might be expected, the Torah gives us practical instruction.
Passover is the season of our liberty. As we approach that season, we should take stock of the state of liberty in our nation and the world. All human institutions become corrupt if they hang around long enough - even those established by God. Once an institution has ceased to serve the purpose for which it was created, it should be abolished, or you should come out of it.
When I was young in the faith, I had real trouble finding someone who could give me a coherent explanation of the Gospel.
Laws do not exist in a vacuum. They represent a vision of what an ideal society should look like. That vision, in turn, comes from the stories and history of the people who make those laws. This is true for Israel and for the United States.
Argument establishing that Y'shua is an High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek. Discussion of the New Covenant and how it differs from the Old.
This series of chapters begin to build the case that Y'shua, in addition to being higher than angels and a brother to us, is a High Priest.
Introduction and first two chapters of the book of Hebrews. Discussion of the intended audience for the letter. Comparison between the Messiah and angels. The reason for the incarnation.
Discussion of the freedom Christ has purchased for us. In this. Paul quotes Yeshua (Jesus) when he says the whole Torah is summed up by saying, "Love God, love your neighbor." He then goes on (just as Yeshua did) to give examples from the Torah which show how to walk that statement out in one's life.
Paul compares the Torah given at Sinai with the New Covenant from the Jerusalem in Heaven. The one leads to slavery the other to freedom. The difference is that the Torah is designed to be written on hearts of flesh, not tablets of stone. When the Torah is imposed from outside (tablets of stone), it is slavery. When it wells up from within, it is freedom.
The Torah cannot amend the covenant God made with Abraham. Rather the purpose of the Torah is to keep Israel until the Son of Promise arrives. Once one comes to faith, he has an inheritance reserved for him.
Those who rely on works of the law for salvation will fall short and be cursed. How does this relate to the fact that the Torah promises to produce life?
Galatians is a treatise on the relationship between the Torah and Salvation. Torah and works of the Law are not intended to be a vehicle for salvation. Rather, it teaches how the saved shall live in the Kingdom of God. With that understanding, learning and following Torah becomes very important to believers in Yeshua (Jesus).
To the new church among the gentiles, the question of circumcision was an important one, having both religious and political ramifications. The introduction discusses the various factors influencing the circumcision question. In this, the letter is intimately related to the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. In the first chapter, Paul explains why his credentials are at least equal to those who are troubling the new believers in Galatia.
Discussion of the Lamb's Book of Life; how one gets written into it and who will not be so written. The final judgment, the New Heaven and New Earth and the fate of the nations.
The Thousand Year Reign, the final defeat of Satan and the Great White Throne Judgment.
Great rejoicing over the fall of Babylon. Discussion of who and what Babylon is. The marriage of the Lamb. Discussion of who the bride is. The Rider on the White Horse and the Thousand Year Reign.
The nations of the Earth mourn over the destruction of Babylon. Who is Babylon and what does she represent?
The Seven Bowls of Wrath. The bowls mirror the plagues brought on Egypt during the Exodus. The Whore of Babylon - who is she and what is her history?
The sharp sickle and the harvest of the earth. The commissioning of the seven angles who are to pour out the bowls of wrath.
Prophetic interlude between the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Bowls of Wrath. Begins with biblical background about the birth of Messiah and Satan's fall from heaven. Describes the Beasts and their powers. The meeting of the 144,000 with the Lamb. The messages of the Three Angels and the harvest of the Earth.
The two witnesses in Jerusalem. Who might they be and what is their purpose? The Seventh Trumpet when the Messiah returns. Where have we seen that before?
The seven trumpets mirror the conquest of Jericho in the Book of Joshua. Similarly, the censer of incense hurled to the earth echos Korah's rebellion in the Book of Numbers.
The sealing of the 144,000. What is the Scriptural background for their choice, who are they and what is their mission?
As the Lamb opens the scroll's first six seals, events happen on the Earth. Where are we in the sequence of seals and what are the events that are yet to come?
The Lamb and the scroll. What does the scroll represent? A discussion of how deeds were handled in Israel.
Looking at the end times through the eyes of John. How should we approach this subject? John had a perspective that grew out of who he was and his experiences. We have data that suggest he was a priest. That training and perspective will help us understand his visions of the end times.
The Church at Laodicea is famous for being neither hot nor cold. Because of this lack of heat, they have no energy to do any works. Being spat out of Y'shua's mouth is by way of getting their attention.
Philadelphia is complemented only for her patient endurance. Ephesus and Thyatira also have patient endurance, but those two churches are complemented for other things as well. Hence, by the time we get to Philadelphia, faithful endurance is all that remains - which is enough.
Sardis, the church that believes that it is alive but is dead in the eyes of God. From the world's perspective, this church is doing fine, but lacks the fruits of the Spirit.
Thyatira is a church divided over sexuality and dabbling with idols. Those on the side that have learned the 'deep things of Satan' and will be lost.
Pergamum, the church where Satan dwells, has compromised with the world. It has taken in pagans without doing a thorough job of changing their beliefs. Hence, there are those who espouse sexual immorality.
Smyrna will be subject to persecution and death at the hands of the Roman Empire. They are promised resurrection and life if they are faithful under that trial.
Yeshua's letter to the Ephesian church contrasts doctrinal purity with love of the Messiah.
Yeshua's kingdom parables given in the Gospel of Mathew correlate perfectly with the seven letters to the churches in Revelation. They also correlate with Paul's pastoral letters. Studying them together gives a perspective on the state of the kingdom from three time perspectives: pre-crucifixion, post-resurrection and apostolic age.
Y'shua says He has the keys to Death and Hades. What does that mean? How are keys used elsewhere in Scripture? Do those other Scriptural references help explain His words?
Perspectives on the study of Revelation, revealing the person of the Messiah who was, who is and who is to come.
Discussion of the holiday of Purim. Esther also has several apocryphal additions that are included in some editions of the Bible. They are not canonical, but they do provide an insight into the time when they were composed.
In the aftermath of Haman's execution, three months pass and the edict to kill the Jews still stands. Esther again visits the king unbidden and persuades him to let Mordecai issue a new decree. Mordecai begins a program of intimidation against the enemies of the Jews.
The king has begun to be uneasy about Haman and the scope of his power. His midnight reading of the chronicles and his decision to honor Mordecai bespeak second thoughts. Haman makes a fatal misstep when he responds to the king's question about honoring someone. Meanwhile, Esther prepares her trap for the unwary Haman.
The elevation of Haman to power and the beginning of the conflict between him and Mordecai. Discussion of what Haman's selection meant in the context of Persian court politics and of the reason why Mordecai would not bow down to him. Beginning of Mordecai and Esther's plan to dispose of Haman.
This first session gives the historical background to the Book of Esther, introduces the characters and explores the personality and manner of governance of King Ahasuerus. We also discuss how Esther came to be chosen as queen.
The lure of idols lies in the human desire for works salvation. We think that the busier we become, the holier we get. False gods pander to that desire. A lamentation over Ephraim and a promise of eventual return.
Using the metaphor of agriculture, the prophet explains that the more physically fruitful Israel was, the more spiritually barren they became. The Golden Calf at Beth-aven (Beth-el) was to be uprooted and sent as spoil to the king of Assyria.
The prophet describes the destruction coming upon the Northern Kingdom because of their idolatry and failure to walk in God's ways. The leadership will cry out to God in their fear, but He will not listen to them.
A continuation of God's indictment of the leadership of Israel just before the Assyrians carry them into exile. In a charge taken right out of today's headlines, the government has become predatory, preying on the people.
Ephraim has fallen into sin and violence and is about to be exiled. God blames this problem directly on a failure of the priests. It is their job to teach the people about God's laws and they have not done so. Hence God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Hosea prophesying as Israel's northern kingdom was about to go into exile. His message is that Ephraim had broken God's heart by lapsing into idolatry, injustice and violence.
God chose to tell us about Himself using the vehicle of a book. If people understood what the book is trying to do and how it should be read, there would be a lot less junk theology. Torah means teaching, not law, so the Bible should be read as a guide book. As an example, this talk covers the two creation stories in Genesis - why there are two and what we are to learn from that.
Malachi, written after the Babylonian exile, addresses a jaded and cynical priesthood. They are just going through the motions to satisfy the crowd and maintain their places in society. In this they are very similar to much of the modern church.
With the current court rulings on homosexual 'marriage' and health care, the government has forfeited the pretense of moral authority. Now words mean whatever the strongest say they mean. Curiously, this presents a great opportunity for believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Being surrounded by hostiles simplifies our problem greatly.
Joy is a major theme in Scripture and in certain cases we are commanded to rejoice. What is joy and how does one summon it on command?
Forgiveness is a genuinely difficult subject. Dr Stephen Marmer has broken forgiveness into three more manageable chunks - exoneration, forbearance and release. Each concept applies to different situations and calls for different actions on your part. This can bring Y'shua's (Jesus') command to forgive much closer to where we live.
Some in the Messianic movement come out of the Sunday church and slide right into Judaism losing the Savior in the process. A Savior is central to God's purposes for His Creation and this talk explores some of the reasons for that.
The prophet says that the nation is living under a curse that they don't even discern. So too many today are living with curses which they do not recognize or perceive. In this, it is not sufficient simply to keep your own skirts clean. Because God judges nations, the righteous will go down with the wicked if they have not resisted that wickedness.
Introduction and historical background. The prophet's rebuke of Israel and its priests.
Paul gives relationship advice to new believers who were once pagans including a discussion of Biblical slavery. What it means to put on the full armor of God.
In Yeshua's (Jesus') letter to the Ephesians, he commends them for their sound doctrine and corrects them for having lost their first love. In Paul's letter, he exhorts them to learn the Word and treat one another with love. They seem to have taken the first advice to heart but hardened their hearts to love. In this they are still like the gentiles they once were.
What it means to hold Messiah in your heart. The second half of the letter beginning in chapter 4 is different in character than the first half. It discusses how to walk according to your high calling and maintain your first love.
Discussion of salvation by faith and how it relates to the works that God has created us to do. Also God is dealing with the rebellion in Heaven of Satan and his fallen angels. We get a glimpse of His strategy that has only been revealed after the resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus).
In the letter to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation 2, Yeshua (Jesus) corrects that church for having lost its first love. What was that first love, and how does He suggest that they regain it? How does Paul's letter address the same subject some half a century earlier?
Introduction to the correlation among the seven Kingdom Parables, the seven Messianic letters in Revelation and Paul's seven pastoral letters.
After His resurrection, Yeshua (Jesus) commanded His disciples to carry the Gospel to all the creation. What exactly is this Gospel?
In Luke 13 and 14 the parables of the fig tree and the great banquet. Y'shua, acting as a prophet, tells Israel that she is unfruitful and that she has spurned the invitation of God to His great banquet.
From exile in Babylon, Ezekiel prophesies the rebellion of the remanent of Israel that is left after the first conquest by Nebuchadnezzar. Israel, having broken the covenant with God, also breaks its covenant with Babylon and her punishment is increased. The prophet also talks about a future covenant and atonement that will be made by God Himself.