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Writing

Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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Revelation

The Seven Thunders, An Interpretive Suggestion

And He cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when He had cried out, the seven thunders spoke their voices (Revelation 10:3). In Revelation 10 John sees Jesus come down to him from heaven with a little book in His hand. Jesus cries out with…

by James B. JordanOctober 7, 1994
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Biblical Chronology

Genesis 5 & 11: Chronological-Theological Reflections

The numbers found in Genesis 5 & 11 display characteristics that indicate a complex and meticulous symbolic schematization operating at several levels. Because these numbers are so potent symbolically, unbelieving scholars have universally (as far as I know) treated them as artificial. Believers take them literally, but believers must also…

by James B. JordanOctober 7, 1994
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Revelation

The Kings From the East

And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east [sunrising]. (Revelation 16:12) The kings from the east in Revelation 16:12 are generally assumed to be enemies of…

by James B. JordanSeptember 10, 1994
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Biblical Studies

Covenants and Dates

During my brief sojourn as a pastor during the 1980s, I had several occasions to be involved in settling disputes between men in the congregation I served. A typical dispute went like this: Two men formed a company to do business. After a few years, the business went sour, and…

by James B. JordanSeptember 10, 1994
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Revelation

The Grape Harvest of Revelation 14:17-20

The two harvests of Revelation 14:14-20, of grain and of grapes, are most often understood as symbolic of God’s judgment against the wicked, or against Babylon, as amplified in chapters 16 & 17. Some commentators, however, notice that the gospels speak of the grain harvest as a reaping of the…

by James B. JordanAugust 10, 1994
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Deuteronomy

The Chronology of the Pentateuch (Part 6)

(Conclusion of Chapter 16 in the previous Biblical Chronology Article) Month 3, 2513 According to Leviticus 23:15-16, Pentecost was to be observed 50 days after the sabbath after Passover, or 49 days after the Feast of First Fruits. I initially based my reflections on the Jewish tradition that the Law…

by James B. JordanAugust 10, 1994

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Literature

Achilles and Coriolanus

In his study of Shakespeare’s use of the heroic tradition of classical antiquity, Hero & Saint , Reuben Brower points out that Coriolanus is modeled on the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome, particularly Achilles: “Perhaps Coriolanus is most like Achilles in his passionate pride, in his ‘choler,’ in his…

February 24, 2005

Calvin on Justification

Craig Carpenter offers a careful comparison of Calvin and Trent on justification in an article in WTJ (2002). A few specifics: 1) He summarizes the Tridentine position by following Robert Godfrey’s analysis, but perceptively suggests that Godfrey illegitimately collapses everything into an opposition of infusion/imputation: “His focus on the language…

February 24, 2005

Some Notes on 1 Kings 19

1) Jezebel sends a messenger, a mal?ak , which in Hebrew is the same word as angel, anticipating the angel of Yahweh later in the chapter. The chapter shows us contrasting angels, an angel of death and an angel that raises the ?dead?Ewith a touch and gives food. 2) Jezebel…

February 23, 2005

Translation, 1 Kings 19

And announced ?Achav to ?Iyzevel all which did ?Eliyyahu And all which he killed all the prophets by the sword. And send ?Iyzevel an angel to Eliyyahu saying, ?Thus may the Elohim do And thus may they add If according to the time tomorrow I set your soul according to…

February 23, 2005

Sermon Outline, February 27

INTRODUCTION At the end of the previous chapter, Elijah ?ran before?EAhab back to Jezreel. This is not just a sign of the Lord?s empowerment of Elijah; it is an offer to Ahab to receive Elijah as his chief advisor. As soon as Ahab tells Jezebel about it, however, that arrangement…

February 23, 2005
Theology

Mediology and Theology

A number of years ago, Regis Debray introduced the notion of “mediology” in an article in Le Monde . His intention was to break down the divisions between technology and culture, to show that the “higher” expressions of culture were shaped and even dependent upon the technologies by which they…

February 22, 2005

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