Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
The name of Harry Turtledove is well known to readers of fantasy and science fiction. Turtledove is an historian, and most of what he writes is in the "alternative history" genre. A fine collection of short stories, available in paperback, is his Agent of Byzantium . These stories are set…
In answer to a question, the following about the unicorn, a supposed "New Age" symbol: The unicorn, or monoceros (one-horn), was known around the ancient world. Some scholars believe it may have been the one-horned goat that is still bred today. Others think it may have originated in tales of…
3. A Brief Survey of Esther (continued from the previous issue) Haman told the king that "a certain people" were rebellious against him, and that Haman wanted to rid the king of their noxious presence. The king agreed, and the two sat down to a feast. This is the third…
It has become routine in October for some Christian schools to send out letters warning parents about the evils of Halloween, and it has become equally routine for me to be asked questions about this matter. "Halloween" is simply a contraction for All Hallows’ Eve. The word "hallow" means "saint,"…
2. The Setting of the Book of Esther (continued from previous issue) Astyages E. W. Faulstich presents his arguments in his book History, Harmony, The Exile & Return . 1 To understand it, we have to have some background. The Assyrians ruled the near east. Median king Cyaxeres decided to…
In my commentary on Judges, I demonstrated that Jephthah in his Spirit-led vow intended to offer to Yahweh the first person who greeted him from the doors of his house after the battle. Since it was a custom for the young women to come out dancing to greet the returning…
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"Follow the science" has been the basso continuo of the coronavirus epidemic. Following the science, many nations went into more or less severe shutdowns. These same nations intend to follow the science in deciding when to re-open, to allow businesses, schools, and churches to start operating again. Skeptics who question…
The tabernacle is surrounded by an open space that is bounded by a curtain of white, fine-twisted linen. The curtain is 100 cubits long on the south and north side of the court (Exodus 27:9, 11), held up by twenty wooden pillars, one pillar every five cubits (Exodus 27:10-11). On…
Get ready for the backlash against scientific expertise, especially against public health experts, writes Damon Linker . The line will be: "We deferred to the geniuses for no good reason, and now they have the blood of the economy on their hands." Many will be grateful to the experts for…
The veil ( paroket ) that separates the Most Holy from the Holy Place organizes the tabernacle. Once this "firmament" is in place, the rest of the tabernacle gets itself organized - the ark on the west side of the veil, the table and the lampstand on the east (Exodus…
Is the world under judgment? Is COVID-19 the kind of "pestilence" Yahweh warns of when He says, through Jeremiah, that Judah will be plagued by "sword, famine, pestilence"? It's hard to read it any other way. An individual illness is a trial; a worldwide pandemic is of a different order.…
An old Easter homily, more relevant today than when I gave it . Jesus knew fear. He was no passionless Stoic sage, as the Stoic critics of the church recognized from the beginning. Instead of reaching for the hemlock like Socrates, He shrank from the cup the Father offered Him…
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