I Had a Dream

“It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, . . .”  Joel 2:28  NASB Dreams – What is a dream?  The question has haunted human investigation for centuries.  If you’re curious, you might look at…

The Rational Apologetic

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 NASB Believes – In an online document entitled, “How to Motivate Anyone to Become a Christian,” the author offers the following as “compelling” proof (I will not cite this source) that…

Conditionals (2)

If you assent and listen, the land’s bounty you shall eat.  But if you refuse and rebel, by the sword you shall be eaten, for the Lord’s mouth has spoken.  Isaiah 1:19-20  Robert Alter If – Now we know that the poetic context of Isaiah’s opening probably requires nuanced conditionals, not declarative absolutes.  ʾim needs…

Reading the Signs?

In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch of David sprout; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. Jeremiah 33:15  NASB In those days – We’ll take a break from Luzzatto and Mesillat Yesharim for a moment.  This message came to me by email.  I want to comment on…

Personal Prophecy (2)

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  2 Peter 1:20-21  ESV Scripture – What does Peter mean by the Greek term gráphēs? …

Personal Prophecy (1)

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  2 Peter 1:20-21  ESV Someone’s own interpretation – Hendel, Martone, Orlinsky, Alter, Hoffman . ….

Time Enough

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”  Mark 1:15 NASB Time is fulfilled – peplerotai kairos.  “Filled up time.”  Mark loves this theme.  Everything is aligned for something crucial to happen.  Yeshua’s baptism occurs at precisely the right moment.  He is driven into the wilderness…

Food Poisoning

“A lion roars.  Who does not fear?  The Master, the LORD, speaks.  Who cannot prophesy?”  Amos 3:8  Robert Alter translation Prophesy – Does this two-line poem seem odd to you?  What does the roar of a lion have to do with giving divine predictions?  Before we can draw conclusions about Amos’ intention, we need to…

Destiny’s Child

Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.  Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”  But the Lord of hosts revealed Himself to me, “Surely this iniquity shall…

See-Saw

Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.  Ezekiel 1:1 NASB Visons – We might have a deeper appreciation for Ezekiel’s experience of God if we realized that the verb rāʾâ…