The Bible in Context
God is a Man of War by Stephen De Young is an excellent study on violence in the Old Testament. After reading this book, I decided to revise my post on herem warfare, which was one of the most difficult posts I have written. De Young is a proponent of the hybrid-giant view of the Nephilim. … Read more
In the Bible people sometimes wore on an uncomfortable garment called sackcloth. Some think sackcloth is a burlap-like material—the fabric used for potato sacks—but consider Revelation 6:12: “The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair.” So sackcloth could be made from black goat’s hair while burlap is made from a plant. Like burlap, however, it … Read more
God’s name is a highly contentious topic among some religious adherents. It’s understandable, I guess, since some have built their faith on one specific view, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Similarly, Hebrew scholars like Nehemia Gordon claim they have discovered the divine name in ancient manuscripts and travel the world promoting their discovery. I realized … Read more
I have written about theophanies or appearances of God in the Bible, but I missed one. In Daniel 10, while Daniel was near the Tigris River, he says, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like … Read more
Where did we come from? God. But how and when did God make us and how does that match with the scientific record? Here are three major views held by Christian thinkers. 1. Young Earth Creation (YEC) – Humans were created directly by God 6,000-10,000 years ago. God did not use the process of gradual … Read more