For the past 100 years a new form of popular Christian Prophecy belief took over much of evangelical Christianity. This interpretation rendered all the predictions of apocalyptic signs leading up to the end of the world, “Failure Proof” by a Double “Coming of Christ” idea. This essentially allows for perpetual…
Many Bible readers assume that “Bible Prophecy” refers to the FUTURE–what is called “eschatology.” In fact, as the very makeup of the Hebrew Bible demonstrates, such is not the case. Even the book of Daniel, that many would consider quintessentially “prophetic,” is not included among the Biblical Prophets. Jesus, Paul,…
Michael Stone, now retired from Hebrew University, but as active as ever in his scholarly investigations and publications, is one of the most engaging scholars in the general area of Jewish texts and traditions of the late 2nd Temple period. I still consider his little book, Scriptures, Sects, and Visions…
In Romans 4:3 Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 about the “faith of Abraham,” being “reckoned” as “righteousness,” which is a meaning quite opposite to the original context and literal Hebrew phrasing. And yet, this along with Romans 1:17, are the TWO PILLAR texts of his entire understanding of what he calls…
Paul’s foundational verse for what he calls “my gospel,” is taken directly from a quotation of the Hebrew Prophet Habakkuk–seldom read by hardly anyone. However, he completely reverses its meaning! https://youtu.be/ZCshIENR8xw
Blast from the past…I gave this lecture in 2007 at an academic conference. Don’t miss the Q&A at the end. I refer to many major scholars along the way who were in the room. In these intervening years, although I have further developed these views, by and large I remain…
Yesterday, based on the previous blog post, I recorded this video. The TITLE is too long–No One Will Choose this Video…or maybe not…let’s see…And note my interesting P.S. at the end: https://youtu.be/VcYUhI765H0 I want to also note that I am very familiar with theories of Hitler fleeing Germany to…
SPOILER: I am very familiar with theories of Hitler fleeing Germany to South America or other proposals. The series “Hunting Hitler” is one of my favorites. But THIS is not about that–it is about a place and a time–and a MAN, who embodied the figure in Isaiah 14 as close…
In this ongoing short series on the Top Seven Fateful texts of the N.T. I select another from the apostle Paul–which taken out of context downplays this present world as passing, almost an illusion or shadow, in favor of a future Heavenly World to come. I call this the “Bad…
April 26, 2024 FIRST: I want to strongly recommend the upcoming 8-lecture on-line course that Bart Ehrman is offering “The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems,” which you can watch live Sat & Sun May 4th and 5th. See link below for full details and how to sign…
