Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
(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…
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Social history in various forms, history that focuses not on kings and battles but on the common life of people, has been popular for a century and a half. But it’s not a modern development. It has ancient roots. Van Seters ( In Search of History ) writes, “for the…
Isaiah 62:3 has numerous parallels with Isaiah 28:1-5. 1) Both passages use the word crown ( ‘atarah ). It appears three times in chapter 28 and again in 62:3. The word is never used elsewhere in Isaiah. 2) Both passages speak of beauty ( tif’arah ). In 28:1, 3, the…
A Pyramid Text (see Faulkner, Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts , 64) includes a curse from a Pharaoh against enemies: “I am stronger than they . . . their hearts fall to my fingers, their entrails are for the denizens of the sky, their blood is for the denizens of the…
The project: Trace the use of “perichoretic” modes of thought in modern philosophy, particularly French philosophy. Follow these easy steps: 1) Start with Gabriel Marcel, Henri Bergson, Merleau-Ponty. Throw in Polanyi like paprika. 2) Investigate links with Trinitarian theologians and the nouvelle theologie . 3) Follow through the after-story by…
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,” David writes (Psalm 8:3). Why would God create with His fingers? Why not His hand? Fingers are needed for subtle work. Hands are instruments of power; fingers are organs of skill. Hands are political. Fingers are artistic. Hands can push,…
Through Isaiah, the Lord promises, “as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; and the rejoicing of the bridegroom over the bride, your God will rejoice over you” (62:5). There are multiple difficulties here. First, sons (plural!) marry their (virgin!) mother. Second, God is the…
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