Prophecy Episodes

What is it about the word “No”? I don’t know about you, but for most people, the minute they are told they can’t have something, they want it. Or at the very least, they are curious. A friend of mine has a two-year-old, and up until now, he’s gotten everything he’s asked for. Now, he’s learning the word “no”. There is a reason we call this age the “terrible twos”! Inevitably, when the boundary is set, a person wants to see what is on the other side of the barrier. And that doesn’t stop at the a...

You might have thought that winning the ground was the grand finale. That should have been it. But the battle we fight is far deeper and far more pervasive. The battle you and I face as Christians is in the spiritual realm. Paul stated it plainly: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” — Ephesians 6:12 Notes for the Air War Episode Link: https://www....

You can read the Bible as a historical text, but if you do that, you’ll be hard-pressed to explain several passages that God-fearing people are often pressed with. One such question that often goes unanswered is how a loving God can command the utter destruction of entire races. One such example: Deuteronomy 20:16-18 - However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorit...

In our last study, we addressed the question of the rapture head-on. This taught me a lesson that I sometimes forget. Read the text! Understand the context. It seems that no matter what denomination and no matter how well-versed the pastor is, the theory of the rapture changes like changing the channel on the television. The pastor is the news anchor. If you don’t like CNN’s version, flip over to Fox. If you don’t like Fox’s version, flip over to MSNBC. Nobody seems to be reporting the event. Th...

Probably nothing is debated more among Christians than the Rapture. I was just watching a sermon by Pastor David Jeremiah, and I think even he is caught up in the systems developed to predict and explain the rapture of the church. Frankly, while I love this pastor and, like so many others, I think he gets it wrong on this issue. Full disclosure. If you follow me through this podcast, from the beginning, I present all the angles. It is really a hard question, and if you rely on Pastors and Teach...

So, I’m in the midst of writing a book and the first part takes place in Israel and I’m trying, as a Christian, to understand the Bible from a Jewish perspective. IT IS REALLY HARD! I don’t know if it’s just because I have not engaged the scripture so much from that side of the fence or not. In a game of Christian vs. Jew, the Christian ideology seems to make more sense of the text. The Jews have an obstacle that they have to dance around - namely Jesus and the Cross. Notes for Jews and Chris...

We take a break from the Red-Letter journey today to just discuss the elephant in the room. And to be sure, your elephant might look different. You could be looking at the tail or a foot. Or at the trunk. You're just a speck on this huge planet, and your perspective will drive your agenda... or perhaps your agenda will drive your perspective. I'm not sure in which direction we travel. As I was looking at this, I recognized that I, too, have an agenda. So does President Trump. So does Netanyahu. ...

This podcast follows the character in a Short Story - The Sure Mercies by Greg Newell. That story is a modern dramatic version of the same argument Paul gave in the synagogue in Athens. These are the scriptural basis for that short story. Additional notes are also provided for this Podcast. The argument Paul Adler makes in this story is not invented. It is derived entirely from the Hebrew scriptures. The reader is encouraged to read those scriptures first, on their own terms, before reading an...

As our Red-Letter journey closes in on the Crucifixion, we decided to pull back. Every day this week, we are acting as a News Reporter traveling with Jesus and the disciples. The notes are written like a News Story from the Jerusalem Chronicle. The News Story is provided in the notes. Related Podcasts. Accusing Mary https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/accusing-mary/ Palms and Psalms https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/palms-and-psalms/ The Passover Lamb Laments https://www.rab...

This was a tough podcast to study for. The journey to Calvary is depicted in all four gospels, and each provides detail that paints a grueling picture of suffering. What you immediately notice about Jesus is not the agony of his suffering but his outreach and concern for the men doing this - and for His Mother. There is mockery from everywhere, even from the criminals beside him. When you bear the weight of this scene and see what Jesus is doing for all of those lining the path to see Him crucif...

As I was reading the account of Pilate's interaction with Jesus, it dawned on me how familiar it was. We often read the account in isolation, and I decided to dig deeper and consider its implications across the span of history. We've said it time and again through our podcasts. God is orchestrating this. Essay - The Evil That Men Do Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/e/the-evil-that-men-do/

Jesus said I have told you these things now so that when they happen, you will remember and believe. He did not say I'm telling you these things as a warning so that you can predict the next thing in the news cycle. Have we flipped prophecy on its face and reversed its meaning? I think it's worth reflecting for a second on current world events and prophecy, but not the way you might think. To many people from the pulpit have inverted prophecy like the tail wagging the dog - using world events t...

We hear Jesus last words to the eleven before the cross, and Jesus answers the question the disciples are too distraught to ask. For many Christians, even today, the Cross is a mystery that it doesn't need to be. Jesus spells it out. It is proven and acted upon. Today, we go deep into John 16:1-11, asking the questions that Jesus knew were on the disciples' minds, even if they could not see clearly through their tears. Notes for Why Jesus Had To Go Episode Link:

Just so you know, we are not going to stop doing our Red-Letter Journey. However, we are adding a 2nd series today comparing current world events with biblical prophecy. What will become extremely useful in this endeavor is applying our Berean Filter application to current events and how they can be interpreted with respect to Biblical prophecy. We are completely open to suggestions regarding who you think provides good, sound biblical interpretation. Today, we focus on Jack Hibbs' recent dis...

This is one short passage in each of the three synoptic Gospels; however, I would be remiss if I jumped over it. Let's remember that Jesus has made the disciples well aware of what was about to transpire this week. They can connect with his death, but I doubt they understand His resurrection. So, with such a shadow hanging over the forthcoming week, Jesus raises a cup and basically says: "Until we meet again". They are probably thinking that future time will be within their lifetime. They're n...

If somebody tells you something that will happen 10 years from now, you're likely to forget it. If somebody tells you something that will happen 10 minutes from now AND it happens exactly the way they said it would, you're likely to never forget it. If that same person has told you stuff about the future, now you're actually looking for it. Notes for Something Happened on the Way to Supper Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/something-happened-on-the-way-to-supper/

As we leave Matthew 24, we leave with a warning. I'm multitasking right now in front of a YouTube video by John Barnett. If you're not familiar, he spends every waking moment in his online ministry discussing End Times. And he is REALLY GOOD at it though admittedly; I waver on dispensational theology and pretribulation rapture stuff. That said, that is is an interpretation no false prophecy and we as Christians should know the difference and not throw the baby out with the bathwater. John's teac...

There are a LOT of books written about Matthew Chapter 24. This podcast is NOT the last word on the subject. It is a perspective, and we think one worth noting. Look, the discussion of End Times sells books! It gets clicks. But the question to ask is how it will change your perspective today. I think the beauty of prophecy is in the not knowing. It draws you to the text. It is human nature to want to know. But if Jesus had said His return happens Easter Sunday in the year 2253 (or whatever, pic...

Everyone is always looking for the major everts in prophetic literature. We've talked about prophetic compression before - the concept of two prophetic events that are spread out over time but stated very close together in biblical prophecy. When looking far into the future, you can see the peaks of the mountains, but you can't necessarily tell how far apart they are. [there are several examples within the source to draw from]. Today, we wanted to address prophetic compression from a differen...

On our Red-Letter journey, we just stepped onto the ground of Matthew 24. This is where many modern wannabe prophets will hang their hat and create grandiose predictions about raptures and end times and date setting and all that. Spoiler alert, we are not trying to figure out when the end of the world will come. I think about this when people ask me why I don't want to go there. First, I can't deny that I have gone that. I have. But I think about this as a reason why I don't. I used to work in ...

After Jesus laments over Jerusalem, the disciples are marveling at the temple. We have two verses of scripture in Matthew 24 (verses 1-2) that somehow still find their way into prophecies yet to be fulfilled. The Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70AD is about as brutal as judgement gets and still this part of the Bible has been misinterpreted by many to be something yet to happen. We don't make that mistake. I don't think there's any question. The source presents the prophecy and the history and ...

I don't know how I would have felt as a Jew in the audience on the temple court when Jesus was giving those scathing indictments to the Pharisees that we've been covering. But it got me to thinking about our Christian - Jewish relationships today. Israel and the United States have been solid political allies for sure. But that's politics! Typically, even our own church leaders don't go much beyond the political support and as long as you can proudly say "I stand with Israel", you are on solid gr...

Ok, if you want to know why we call this Podcast Rabbit Holes, you're about to follow how my brain works! I started today covering the last three woes and that ends in another lament by Jesus over Jerusalem. That got me wondering about the judgement that fell in AD 70. Then I thought, well, I don't really know what happened to the Jews after that. I know somehow, they survived, but how? So I followed that track all the way to 1948 where the Israel becomes a nation state. Then I think, ok, so why...

We've heard the Parable of the Great Banquet or Wedding Banquet probably a lot in our bible studies. Both Matthew and Luke tell the story and both help ground the meaning. In our Red-Letter journey, we find this parable told by Jesus early on Tuesday morning in Passion Week. Luke's version is the same parable told at an earlier event.... which is one of the reasons we've seen this story before. I came into this passage reflecting on that wedding feast we are all going to attend after the return...