A chiasm (also called a chiasmus) is a literary device in which a sequence of ideas is presented and then repeated in reverse order. The result is a “mirror” effect as the ideas are “reflected” back in a passage. Each idea is connected to its “reflection” by a repeated word, often in a related form. The … Continue reading What is Hebrew chiasm / chiastic / chiasmus structure in the Bible?
Were Samuel, Moses & Elijah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - Alive Before the Resurrection? Three passages of Scripture are sometimes advanced in support of the view that the dead are alive before the resurrection. 1. The episode related in 1 Samuel 28 concerns a so-called appearance of Samuel after his death. There are good reasons … Continue reading Were Samuel, Moses & Elijah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Alive Before the Resurrection?
1. The Rapture/Resurrection event will occur at the last trumpet. Scripture knows of only one last trumpet, the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15. This trumpet sounds after or “post”-tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31). This is “the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14), when all the faithful will be rewarded. 2. Jesus spoke of the “elect,” whom he equates with the disciples and their successors in the church. Matthew, who is his own best interpreter, elsewhere means “believers” when he uses the term “elect” (Matthew 22:14): “Many are called, but few are elect” (Gr. eklectos). It is a basic rule of good exegesis that a writer must be allowed to interpret himself.
The Biblical Concept of “Soul” We proceed now to an examination of the Biblical concept of “soul.” It is our understanding of this term which will condition our understanding of the state of man in death. The foundation of the Biblical anthropology is laid in Genesis 2:7: “The LORD God formed man of the dust … Continue reading A Biblical Soul (Nephesh) is the whole Person including the Body
One of our human frailties is our inability to hear the text of Scripture. More precisely, we have difficulty in hearing what the Bible says when we have been propagandized into a different opinion. We then start with a fixed notion and enter a kind of "denial" when we read verses which obviously conflict with … Continue reading Hearing the Text of the Bible and not something else
Introduction In our English bibles Sheol (Hebrew) and Hades (Greek) are seen as only something physical. However that is not how the Jews understood these terms. Christians today use words like hell, Hades, Sheol and Gehenna interchangeably but they are not the same. This post will address the difference between Sheol and Hades as they … Continue reading Demystify the Meaning of Sheol and Hades in the Bible
Much has been written on the subject of death, primarily because so many Christians have been led to believe that we don't really die but go on to live with Jesus in Heaven. In John W. Schoenheit's book "The Christian's Hope,*" chapter 7, The Origin of Orthodoxy he says, The vast majority of Christian denominations … Continue reading Greek Philosophy’s Impact on our Understanding of Death
Hebrews 11:5 (NRSVA) By trust Enoch was moved so that he would not see death, and he could not be found, because God moved him, for before he was moved he obtained the testimony that he pleased God. “moved.” The record of Enoch is in Genesis 5, and this verse specifically refers to Genesis 5:24. … Continue reading Did Enoch go to Heaven?
This is best explanation I have ever come across on Luke 16:19 as it deals with the question is it is a literal story or a parable. It is a parable and this commentary proves it. Are you willing to hear the another view on this portion of scripture. It is from Commentary on Luke … Continue reading Lazarus and the Rich man commentary Luke 16:19 – Parable?
by Servetus the Evangelical aka Kermit Zarley The three great monotheistic religions of the world are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three claim to worship the one and only God, the God of the Bible. While all three base their beliefs on the Bible, they do not agree as to who this God is. Most … Continue reading Why Doesn’t the Trinity Have Three Thrones in Heaven?
Biblical Teaching to Equip Every Christian 