Reformed Blogging

Studying the Bible always requires a diligent study of the facts. Studying both history and archaeology will help you realize some of the bizarre customs. I always wondered why did the direct family of Daniel's accusers end up getting thrown into the lion's den too? It can be assumed that they were probably accomplices (which would have also been why Achan's direct family was stoned too in Joshua 7). I decided to get some commentaries to get some answers on Daniel 6:24. The "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible" writes the following: 24. ( Deuteronomy 19:19 , Proverbs 19:5 ). accused--literally, "devoured the bones and flesh." It was just that they who had torn Daniel's character, and sought the tearing of his person, should be themselves given to be torn in pieces ( Proverbs 11:8 ). their children-- Among the Persians, all the kindred were involved in the guilt of one culprit . The Mosaic law expressly forbade this ( Deuteronomy 24...

I remembered buying the book "Why I Believe" by the late D. James Kennedy (though it's now the old, out-of-print edition). Chapter 2 is titled "The Stones Cry Out". Today, I was also reading through Daniel 5. Another commentator named J. Vernon McGee also wrote of this matter. What wasn't surprising was that some people were trying to discredit the existence of King Belshazzar who was later overthrown by the Persians. The man was known to be irreverent as he used the vessels from the Jewish Temple caught many decades ago. I wonder why would a man do such a thing as to use much older vessels when he had for himself some brand new vessels? I wouldn't even dare to do that to antique vessels. Belshazzar's existence was proven by the discovery of the Nabonidus Cylinders which are in the British Museum. McGee quotes from a book called "Daniel, the Key to Prophetic Revelation" by John Walvoord. McGee also mentions Raymond Doughtery's scholarly...

As today is Holy Wednesday, I decided to reflect on Jesus' anointing by a repentant prostitute. Take note of the word repentant . A woman here was a sinner. She's often speculated to be Mary Magdalene though I really can't be certain. The problem of extrabiblical tradition is that it often clashes with both history and biblical text. It's just like the three kings are not the three wise men. There's apparently no evidence either that Mary Magdalene was the adulterous woman who repented and was forgiven by Jesus. Now, it's time to really write my thoughts of our Lord Jesus and the repentant prostitute. The event is narrated in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-50, and John 12:1-8.  I believe these are all narrations of the same incident. Only John doesn't mention the alabaster jar and only Mark mentions it's spikenard from the four accounts. Answers in Genesis has an article called " How Many Times Was Jesus Anointed " by Troy Lacey says t...

The temptation of Jesus is often a subject to skeptics. One can say that Matthew and Luke do contradict each other. For some reason, the second and the third temptation were reversed. We all know the three temptations were pretty much as (1) turn the stones into bread, (2) jump off the pinnacle and let the angels save Jesus, and (3) worship Satan and Jesus will have all the kingdoms of the world. Yet, we read that Luke puts Matthew wrote as second as the third. What was the reason behind this one? Studying the Bible requires much research. It's not a book that can be mastered overnight. It's the Book that makes you search every other reliable (but fallible) book to authenticate its infallibility. The Apologetics Press' article " In What Order Did Satan Tempt Jesus? " by Eric Lyons gives us this insight: The problem with this allegation is that it is based upon an assumption. Those who claim that the “disorder” of temptations is a contradiction, presuppose that his...

I remembered the time I got into the KJV Only movement for many reasons. I felt that the missing verses (such as Acts 8:37) were really there. One of the big translation differences was that Daniel 3:25 in the KJV says "the fourth is like the Son of God". Meanwhile, modern translations say, "The fourth is like a son of the gods." This is one of the big reasons why I tend to lean to the KJV more often than not even when Charles H. Spurgeon was not KJV Only.  J. Vernon McGee's commentary also says the following regarding the matter: Another amazing fact was to see a fourth Man whom Nebuchadnezzar described as being in the form "like the Son of God". This should be translated "like a son of gods". Nebuchadnezzar had no knowledge of the living and true God at this time, although Daniel had spoken of Him. Having no spiritual perception, Nebuchadnezzar could only testify to His unusual appearance - He looked like one of the sons of the gods. Howeve...

I decided to go through a slow study on Daniel. Granted, this was Old Testament times so we really need to understand how things were different for the Jewish times vs. the dispensation of the New Testament. Danieel and his friends were probably in their late teens (and would be considered marriageable at that time) so whether or not they were married men isn't clear. Daniel's three friends were known as Mishael, Hananiah (not to be confused with the false prophet), and Azariah. Their names were soon conveniently changed into Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego so they can be assimilated into the Babylonian culture. Even more, their diet was about to change. They were soon introduced to the king's food which they flat-out refused with due politeness. What was the issue of the food? I was thinking about how Daniel and his three friends were among the faithful remnant. Why God allowed them to be in Babylon is part of a much greater plan. Before Islam came in the 7th...

Apparently, there are two verses that seem to come to conflict. Jeremiah 25:1 says that the siege happened during the fourth year of Jehoiakim. Yet, Daniel writes that the siege happened during the third year of Jehoiakim. It would be very important to understand how stuff was written in ancient times. It's like how we try to solve the following: It was said that Absalom only waited for four years yet the KJV uses a non-literal 40 years. 2 Samuel 15:7 is often challenged since David would be too old if Absalom waited for a literal 40 years. Yet, it's most likely said that it was Absalom was actually 40 years old when this rebellion happened but he only waited for four years. The age of Ahaziah supposedly differs in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. I don't buy the nonsense story from Chick Publications. Actually, we must understand that 42 refers to the time from the rise of Omri's dynasty up to Ahaziah, not the actual age. Modern versions of the Bible prefer to put his literal...

Holy Week usually gets devoted to reading from the New Testament. One of the many things taught in the New Testament is the Golden Rule or what is taught as such. Many tend to think that the negative form which says, "Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you." is by Confucius. However, it must be noted that Confucius' moral code is not completely original nor was he the first person to say that rule. It's sometimes attributed to Jewish teachings. Leviticus 19:18 is a clear principle against revenge which the Pharisees had ignored. Revenge was never allowed in the Old Testament either - something that would be such a serious mistake to think about it. The principle of an eye for an eye is not about personal vendettas but not punishing people beyond their offenses. It's like you can get suspended for cheating in an exam but you can't get beheaded for doing so. The idea that Confucius originally said the golden rule is absurd. Confuc...

Granted, today is Palm Sunday and it commemorates the entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. The Passover lamb is also entered into Jerusalem to be presented without blemish. Jesus entered into Jerusalem where He would soon be crucified on that Good Friday and die for the sins of mankind at 3 P.M. - the exact time when the Passover lamb was slain so He can become the final sacrifice. Yet, one of the many ideas that still baffle me is the return of animal sacrifices during Jesus' thousand-year temporal rule before the Eternal Kingdom begins. The Bible scatters ideas of the Millennial Kingdom all throughout. Revelation provides very little information about the Millennial Kingdom in contrast to the Old Testament prophets. I believe it was done purposely so Christians will continue to search the Scriptures. Verses regarding the return of animal sacrifices are found in Isaiah 56:6-8, Jeremiah 33:15-18, and Zechariah 14:16. Ezekiel 40-43 discusses the upcoming Millennial Kingdom...

My current study of Ezekiel leads to a new doctrinal footnote called "Israel in Prophecy". The doctrine says that the energy that keeps God's prophetic clock running on schedule is the Jewish nation. The very chapter it's found is in Ezekiel 37 which is about the Valley of the Dry Bones. This is where the spiritual deadness of man is found and only by a quickening of the Holy Spirit can a real revival happen. Israel in itself still plays a role in prophecy. What God starts then He is bound to finish it. God can't lie and Israel is one of the many pieces of evidence that He can't lie.  What shows that Israel is still active in God's plan? There are many attempts to destroy Israel. You can talk about how God had preserved Israel throughout history for the sake of a few saved Jews. Adolf Hitler tried to wipe out the whole Jewish race from Europe during the Second World War and failed . The enemies of Israel are still trying to corner the nation and destroy it...

Ezekiel 34 starts off with an introduction about the worthless shepherds. These words are indeed very condemning towards the spiritual status of the shepherds of Israel: And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered throu...

Ezekiel 3 has verses that are used by conditional security proponents to believe that you can lose your salvation. The verses in Ezekiel 3 are as follows: 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, bec...

Ezekiel 28 has God telling Ezekiel to take an oracle against the prince of Tyre at that time. The oracle in Ezekiel 28:1-10 says the following: The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the LORD God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God : 3 Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: 4 With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: 5 By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: 6 Therefore thus saith the LORD God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God ; 7 Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw...

Years ago, I remembered a song called "Stand in the Gap" from Praise Worship. The song's theme was taken from the verse Ezekiel 22:30 which God laments that no one was willing to stand in the gap. This was a defying expectation when Ezekiel from the Tribe of Levi became that person to stand in the gap. Israel and Judah were practically in exile. Before Ezekiel, others had stood in the gap. A good example is Moses of the Tribe of Levi who also interceded with God not to destroy the hard-headed people who were having an idolatrous feast in Exodus 32. Later, Aaron (the first high priest) acted like a person to stand in the gap in Numbers 16 after those who joined Korah's rebellion fell into Hell alive. Ezekiel as a Levite would be familiar with that story of Aaron and Moses that well due to his Levite heritage. Why has it become a very hard task to stand in the gap on behalf of the land? It takes extreme patience. I would hate to be in Jeremiah's shoes as the prophet...