Bible Fiber

In Ezekiel 43, we witness a pivotal moment: the powerful return of God's glory to the temple, a stark contrast to its departure described earlier in the book.Join me as we explore the profound significance of this event, examining the conditions for God's enduring presence and the intriguing question of why the detailed temple vision wasn't immediately reconstructed. We'll also delve into how the imagery of Ezekiel's vision finds resonance and transformation in the book of Revelation.This episode offers insightful perspectives on themes of restoration, divine presence, and the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy.Support the show

This week, we will delve into Ezekiel chapters 40 to 42, which present Ezekiel's visionary depiction of a future temple complex. While our usual format for Bible Fiber is to explore one chapter each week, I have decided to dedicate this episode to an in-depth discussion of all three chapters together. As a priest, Ezekiel was likely enthralled by the measurements and architectural details of his temple vision. However, for many listeners, his verbal descriptions might be challenging to visualize. Thankfully, there are scholars who have carefully analyzed every measurement and created illustrated renditions of Ezekiel's square temple city. Although these illustrations are not easily adaptable to a podcast format, I will strive to convey the significance of his temple vision.Support the show

This week, we are studying Ezekiel 39, the second half of his famous oracle against the mysterious Gog from the land of Magog. Israel's only jobThroughout most of the Gog oracle, the emphasis has been on God's direct intervention in defeating the invading armies. Whether it was God knocking the bow and arrows from the archers' hands (39:3) or setting fire to Magog and the coastlands (39:6), the responsibility fell entirely on God to obliterate the hordes.In the prophecy, the Israelites emerged only once the battle was already over. Their only task was to organize a cleanup operation. They began by collecting all the weaponry left behind by their defeated enemies. Ezekiel noted that they gathered enough shields, bows, arrows, and war clubs. However, instead of storing the weapons in their armory, they repurposed them for fuel. Gog's captured weaponry would provide them with firewood for seven years (39:9). In other words, with the defeat of Gog and its allies, Israel entered into an era of total peace. Ezekiel gave a new twist on the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah, which stated that in the Messianic age, people would turn their swords into plowshares (Isa. 2:4, Micah 4:3). The Israelites sensed that this was the last war. Ezekiel also notes the irony: “And they will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them” (39:10), as the hordes had initially invaded Israel, intending to plunder its cities and villages.Support the show

This week, we are studying Ezekiel 38, where the prophet presents his famous oracle against Gog from the land of Magog. This quasi-apocalyptic vision has captivated and perplexed scholars, theologians, and lay readers for centuries. Its cryptic nature, rich symbolism, and futuristic implications have led to many, often conflicting, interpretations. The shadowy figure of Gog, the vivid portrayal of a great battle, and the promise of divine intervention have made these chapters a focal point for those attempting to decode the mysteries of the end times. However, the complexities of the oracle are manageable, and its insights are less sensational than often believed. Support the show

This week, we are studying Ezekiel 37, which contains one of the most iconic prophetic visions in the entire Bible: The Valley of Dry Bones. Apart from God's winged throne chariot in Chapter 1, this is the most memorable symbol in Ezekiel. The vision's enduring popularity stems from its vivid imagery and potent message of hope. As an apocalyptic vision, it easily lends itself to endless interpretation.Support the show

Welcome to Bible Fiber, where are we encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. This week we are studying Ezekiel 35 and 36. In the previous chapter, Yahweh restated his loyalty to the covenant people as a nation. In Chapters 35 and 36, he reasserts his commitment to the land of Israel. Mount Seir                  God instructs the prophet to direct his prophecy against Mount Seir (35:1-3). As the capital of Edom, Mount Seir represents the descendants of Esau, Israel's perpetual foe. This oracle seems out of place, as God has already declared punishment for Edom in the Oracles Against the Nations (25:12-14). Why is Ezekiel reiterating God's disapproval of Edom when this could have been tacked on to Chapter 25's mini-oracle? The answer lies in the literary structure of the entire book. In the judgment portion of Ezekiel's message, God instructed him to prophesy against the mountains of Israel (6:1-3). The mountains, hills, valleys, and ravines would all experience God's wrath for hosting idol-worshiping Israelites with their pagan shrines and altars. In Ezekiel's salvation portion, however, he reverses the curse on Israel's mountains by shifting the punishment to Mount Seir.Certainly, the exiled audience heard reports of the Edomites encroaching on their abandoned properties and capitalizing on Jerusalem's misfortune. They plundered the city, captured Judean refugees, and handed them over to the Babylonians. While Israel suffered in exile, Edom seemed to thrive. The Edomites aimed to annex the land of both Israel and Judah, which Ezekiel refers to as the “two nations” and “two countries” (35:10). The Abrahamic land promise had been denied to their patriarch, Esau, in favor of Jacob, fueling their resentment. Israel's exile led the Edomites to believe they could finally reclaim the birthright they felt was unjustly taken from them. God condemned their lack of compassion for Israel during its most tragic moments, declaring he would destroy Edom because they “cherished an ancient enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword” (35:5). Their actions during the Babylonian assault displayed a sense of betrayal due to their kinship with Israel.The Edomites' actions during Jerusalem's conquest particularly incited divine disapproval as they celebrated the city's downfall and sought to exploit it for their gain (Psalm 137:7). Before Israel returned to the land, God promised judgment against Edom. The Edomites believed the land of Israel would become theirs by default (35:10-13). However, God declared that this assumption disregarded his sovereignty over Israel. In his omniscience, he heard their blasphemous claims that the land was now theirs to devour (35:12). Despite Israel's failings and the subsequent exile, God remained dedicated to protecting the land for Israel's eventual return.When the Edomites rejoiced over Israel's ruin, they directly challenged Yahweh. Consequently, he would make their land desolate. The Edomites failed to understand that God is the true owner of the covenant land; he repeatedly refers to it as “my land,” even though he entrusted Israel with its care. Seizing any part of the land equates to stealing from Yahweh.When Edom is mentioned in the Bible, it refers not only to historical Edom and a paradigm for all godless nations that oppose God's people. Edom represents those who stand against God and his chosen representatives. Each enemy nation that antagonizes the Jewish people today follows the path of Edom. Although the “Edoms” of the world may experience moments of success, they will ultimately be defeated while Israel is preserved.Support the show

In Chapter 34, Ezekiel's prophetic tone changes. Previously mute and limited to delivering messages of judgment, Ezekiel now offers words of comfort and hope to his fellow exiles. This change marks a turning point in the book of Ezekiel and in the prophet's ministry.By this time, the number of Jewish exiles in Babylon had grown considerably. Ezekiel could have dwelled on the past, reminding his traumatized audience of the reasons for their punishment. Instead, he chooses a more compassionate approach. The focus of his oracles shifts dramatically towards the future. While the first two-thirds of the book primarily criticized Israel for its history of rebellion, the latter third looks forward with optimism, emphasizing themes of restoration and a new covenant between God and his people.This dual structure—judgment followed by renewal—is not unique to Ezekiel. It's a characteristic pattern found in many prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible. Prominent prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah first pronounced judgment before transitioning to messages of hope and salvation. Ezekiel was retracing the footsteps of his predecessors.This pattern reflects a deeper theological understanding of history in ancient Israelite thought. History is not random or cyclical but moving purposefully towards a divinely ordained goal: redemption. The exiles' suffering was not the end of the story, but a painful yet necessary step towards a greater future.Support the show

Bible Fiber delves into Chapter 33, a pivotal point in the book of Ezekiel that marks a transition from judgment to hope. Ezekiel is recommissioned as a watchman over Jerusalem. The chapter addresses themes of personal responsibility, repentance, and God's desire for the wicked to turn from their ways and live. It contrasts the attitudes of the exiles in Babylon with those remaining in Jerusalem, highlighting misconceptions about divine favor and covenant responsibilities. The arrival of a fugitive from Jerusalem validates Ezekiel's prophecies, but despite his increased popularity, the people treat his messages as entertainment rather than applying them to their lives.Support the show

This week, we're examining Ezekiel 32, the final chapter of eight in his Oracles Against the Nations. This chapter also concludes the series of seven oracles against Egypt. It consists of lamentations for Pharaoh and the Egyptian forces, symbolically depicting their defeat and descent into Sheol.The sixth oracle against Egypt came to Ezekiel on March 3, 585 BCE, two years after the previous oracle and two months after news of Jerusalem's fall reached the exiles (33:21). By this time, new refugees lived among them in Tel Abib, and they were hearing Ezekiel's prophecies for the first time. All hope of Egyptian intervention was lost.Ezekiel raised a final lament for Pharaoh saying, “You consider yourself a lion among the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you thrash about in your streams, trouble the water with your feet, and foul your streams” (32:2). Ezekiel then returned to his earlier imagery of a crocodile or tannim, a mythical sea monster. Yahweh decreed that he, and a throng of people, would capture the sea monster in a net and hurl it into an open field. Exposed to the elements, the creature would die. Perhaps this was Ezekiel's way of portraying Pharaoh's exile to a foreign land. Scavenging animals and birds would eat from his massive carcass that overlaid the mountains and filled the valleys with his blood (32:3-4).When the creature died, God would darken the skies. He said, “All the shining lights of the heavens I will darken above you and put darkness on your land” (32:7). Darkening the sun, moon, and stars was reminiscent of the Exodus, the last time God confronted the pharaoh by displaying his power over all of nature (Ex. 10:21-24). God also vowed that he would wipe out all of Egypt's livestock (32:13). During the Exodus, the fifth plague God sent on Egypt specifically targeted the animals of Egypt but spared the livestock of the Israelites. According to Ezekiel, so little would survive in Egypt that the Nile River and its channels would have a chance to rest. Without cattle kicking up mud or humans drawing water, the debris would settle, and its streams would run clear as oil (33:14). Support the show

This week we are reading Ezekiel 31, the fifth oracle against Egypt, in a series of seven. Ezekiel, the master of word pictures, has already depicted the pharaoh as a crocodile left to die in the desert and a disabled soldier powerless to grasp a sword. In this chapter, Ezekiel likens the Egyptian empire to a fallen cedar tree. The chapter can be divided into two parts. The first part presents the tree's beauty, height and shade (31:1-9). The second part describes the tree's demise (31:10-18).Support the show

This week we are studying Ezekiel 30, which contains Ezekiel's third and fourth oracles against Egypt. There are seven in total. In the third oracle, God commanded Ezekiel to wail over Egypt. He said, “The Day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations” (30:1). Ezekiel proclaimed that the “Day of the Lord” would bring devastation to Egypt and its neighboring nations (30:1-19). The oracle painted a grim picture of Egypt's downfall, describing the destruction of cities, the slaughter of people, and the collapse of power structures. In the fourth oracle, God described breaking the Pharaoh's arm so badly that it had no chance of healing.Support the show

We are still in the OAN, the long suspense-building pause between Ezekiel's announcement of Jerusalem's fall in Chapter 24 and confirmation of Jerusalem's fall in Chapter 33. Ezekiel arranged the seven oracles in a geographical sequence around Israel. He started with Ammon to the east. Next, he addressed Moab and Edom, further southeast. The focus then shifted westward to Philistia, followed by Tyre and Sidon to the northwest. In the last pronouncement, Ezekiel turned his reproach to Egypt in the southwest. The oracle against Egypt is Ezekiel's longest by far, spanning four chapters. Babylon's RivalAt the start of the oracle against Egypt, Ezekiel gave the exact date, the equivalent of 7 January 587 BCE (29:1). It was exactly a year since Nebuchadnezzar first laid siege to Jerusalem. In the early sixty century BCE, at the time of Ezekiel, Egypt was the only regional power who had a chance of challenging Babylon's expansion. As Nebuchadnezzar's army campaigned throughout the region, Egypt tried mightily to hold on to its upper hand. Jerusalem found itself in a precarious position, caught in the middle of two major powers vying for dominance. King Zedekiah, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin all hoped to preserve Jerusalem's independence. They switched their allegiance between Babylon and Egypt, unsure of the safest bet.One of Egypt's tactical strategies was to help smaller nations in their resistance to Babylonian ambitions. They wanted their allies to be codependent on them for aid. For example, the Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt (588-569 BCE) encouraged Judah to rebel against Babylon, promising Egypt's military support in their struggle. He said they would intervene on Judah's behalf and repel Nebuchadnezzar. According to Jeremiah's account, Egypt's intervention forced the Babylonians to lift their siege of Jerusalem, giving the city a brief respite and strengthening Judah's determination to continue fighting (Jer. 37:5-11). However, Hophra relented, and his battalion retreated once they confronted the Babylonian army. Jeremiah's description is vague, but Egypt might have withdrawn without a battle. This withdrawal of Egyptian forces hastened the fall of Jerusalem.Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah prophesied that God was going to use Babylon to punish Judah. With that understanding, they wanted to get the punishment over with. That is why they were both irritated with Egypt prodding Jerusalem's kings to revolt. The prophets blamed Egypt for soliciting Judah's partnership and blame Judah for placing their trust in Egypt. Judah had to be punished and Hophra was interfering with that process. Support the show

This week I am interviewing a special guest, Yair Levi. Yair is a Jewish Israeli singer, songwriter, and musical producer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Yair is incredibly popular among Christians who love Israel which is one of the things we will talk about. Yair has become a global phenomenon, widely recognized for his powerful songs such as Refa Na and Blessed, which resonate deeply with audiences around the world.  As a Jewish Levite and former Captain in the Israeli Navy Seals, where he served for eight years, Yair brings a unique perspective to his music.His work blends Biblical soul, faith, and Biblical values, reviving ancient texts and melodies to make them relevant and inspiring for today's world.Support the show

This week we are studying Ezekiel 28. In Ezekiel's first two prophecies against Tyre, he condemned Tyrian civilization. In this chapter, God tells Ezekiel to address only the king of Tyre. The first ten verses deliver a warning and a condemnation. Ezekiel avoided naming the king, but historians identify him as King Ethbaal II (585-573 BCE). In biblical stories and prophecies, foreign leaders often go unnamed. That way the text can focus on the characteristics of the leader and emphasize the universal themes that make the prophecies relevant beyond their immediate historical context. For example, the Exodus story does not name the Pharaoh. His anonymity highlights his role as the quintessential oppressor, rather than his personal story. With Ezekiel 28, the arrogant Tyrian king represents all despotic leaders who elevate themselves over God, forgetting that “there is no authority except from God” (Rom. 13:1). Ezekiel accused the king of being so vain that he fancied himself to be divine. Ezekiel voiced the internal thoughts of the king, saying, “Because your heart is proud and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas'” (28:2). The prophet did not focus on the wrongfulness of the king's actions, but his mindset. Ezekiel sharply rebuked the king's delusion of grandeur, saying, “you are but a mortal and no god” (28:2). Unlike in Egypt, Canaanite royals did not claim to be superhuman. Ezekiel did not reveal if the Tyrian king claimed godhood outwardly to his subjects, or if his ego only secretly fueled his delusions. However, he likely felt like an object of worship because so many nations relied on his vast trade network to prop up their economies. Their material success depended on Tyre's strength. Despite the gold and silver that the king amassed in his treasury, divinity was not a rank he could buy. Support the show

Welcome to Bible Fiber, where are we encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. This week we have a special guest from Israel, Gidon Ariel.Gidon is the founder and CEO of Root Source, an organization dedicated to promoting respectful relationships between pro-Israel Christians and Jews. Root Source's flagship program brings knowledgeable, authentic Israeli teachers and curious Christians together to study the Jewish texts and concepts that are foundational to their faith.Gidon made Aliyah from Queens, NY when he was 14. He spent close to a decade in advanced Jewish studies institutes (Yeshivas) and the Israeli Army. After 20 years in the Tank Corps, today he is a reserve officer in the IDF Spokesperson's office. A pioneer in Jewish-Christian relations, Gidon is a seasoned Hebrew and Judaism instructor and public speaker.On this episode we talk about Root Source, a free library of Jewish teachings for Christian audiences. Support the show

This week we are studying Ezekiel 27, a continuation of the Oracles Against the Nations. Even if you're a lifelong churchgoer, chances are you've never heard a sermon on Ezekiel's Oracles Against the Nations. Ezekiel's OAN is in competition with the genealogies in Chronicles or the purity regulations in Leviticus for the least-read scriptures.   Skipping the difficult parts is not the goal of Bible Fiber. I also do not manipulate the text for application lessons to our modern lives. Sometimes the main purpose of a biblical passage is to lay the groundwork for a broader understanding of Israel's place and circumstances. After Jerusalem fell, the Israelites were in a questioning headspace. They needed proof that they were still the covenant people. They longed for God to punish the nations who came against them. Ezekiel's OAN answers their doubts, even if indirectly. With Tyre, Ezekiel took three chapters to carry out his goal.After Ezekiel pronounced an oracle of judgement, God instructed the prophet to raise a lament for Tyre (27:1). A lament is a funeral song, like a graveside eulogy in our time. Occasionally, biblical prophets used laments as literary devices to announce judgment over Israel's enemies or, in Amos's case, Israel itself (Isa. 14-17, 19, 23; Amos 5:1-3). Delivered in a mocking tone, the lament expressed sorrow over the fate of a nation or city. They were inviting the condemned to their own funeral. Ezekiel adds his own spin to the classical lament by shaping it into an extended allegory. His lament over Tyre portrays the city as a luxury merchant ship that was hit by a strong wind and sank. Support the show

In Chapter 26, Ezekiel's Oracles Against the Nations moves onto the city of Tyre, and the prophet stays fixated on Tyre for three chapters. It is surprising that Ezekiel only glances at the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines while he gives Tyre a jaundiced stare-down. Israel had long-running enmities with the first named people groups. Tyre was little more to Israel than an enviable trade rival. The Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines were Jerusalem's closest neighbors. Tyre was 100 miles north of Jerusalem. Still, Ezekiel's audience would have found his predictions of Tyre's downfall impossible. Tyre's wealth had no limits, and the island stronghold was impenetrable.Support the show

Ezekiel 25 delivers four mini-oracles targeting Judah's closest neighbors, which are also her longest standing enemies: Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Israel had been at odds with these four nations for most of its existence. Scholars generally date these oracles to shortly after the Babylonian attack in 586 BCE, given that Jerusalem's suffering serves as the backdrop for each prophecy.Support the show

This week on Bible Fiber we have a special guest, Tim Mahoney. So we are taking a little break from our Ezekiel study. Tim is a Christian filmmaker and a documentarian. I first learned of his work because two of my professors at The Bible Seminar have participated in his films. I also had the chance to see his film called The Moses Controversy a few years ago when it first came out.   Tim now has a new film as part of his Patterns of Evidence series. It is called The Israel Dilemma—Ancient Prophecies. It is screening on November 13, 14, and 17 in theaters nationwide. So we are two weeks away from showtime. I will put a link in the show notes for how you can purchase your ticket in advance.  Tim always puts a ton of research into his documentaries. And in this film, he builds the case that ancient Israel has been in the Promised Land since the time of Abraham. There is a strong focus on the biblical story and archaeology of Israel. Please check out this episode and find out how you can see the film!Support the show

This is our last episode in the miniseries on The High Holidays for the Goyim. On October 24 and 25th, Jews will mark Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret. Simchat Torah is a celebration for the finish of an entire year of Torah study. While Simchat Torah is not technically part of Sukkot, it comes immediately after Sukkot as part of the fall holiday season. In Israel, Simchat Torah is observed on the same day as Shemini Atzeret, while in the diaspora, it is celebrated on the following day.Shemini Atzeret means eighth day of assembly. It comes from the command in Leviticus 23:36. God said, “Seven days you shall present the Lord's offerings by fire; on the eighth day you shall observe a holy convocation and present the Lord's offerings by fire; it is a solemn assembly; you shall not work at your occupations” (Lev. 23:36). While closely associated with Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret is considered a separate holiday with its own significance. It's often interpreted as a day when God asks the Jewish people to stay for one more day of closeness and celebration after the week-long festival of Sukkot. That interpretation makes sense to me. Often when I am on vacation, I want to extend the trip just one more day. One more day of rest and one more day of family time. God desired the same from his people. Support the show

When is Sukkot?Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths, is a joyous seven-day festival that begins on the 15th day of the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar, Tishrei. This typically falls in September or October on the Gregorian calendar. In 2024, Sukkot will be celebrated from October 16th to October 23rd. It's worth noting that Sukkot comes just five days after Yom Kippur, marking a dramatic shift from solemnity to celebration.Where is Sukkot Mentioned in the Bible?Sukkot is mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible. The most detailed instructions for observing Sukkot are found in Leviticus 23:33-43. This passage establishes the dates of the festival, commands the people to dwell in booths, and explains the historical significance of the holiday. God commanded Moses, “So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days... Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 23:39, 42-43)Support the show

On October 1st, the first Bible Fiber book launched! It is a 52-week study of the Twelve Minor Prophets, going through each book. This comprehensive companion provides thoughtful commentary for every chapter, making these ancient texts accessible to all readers. Grab your copy of Bible Fiber today! It is available on Amazon as a Paperback and on Kindle! Second, we are pressing pause on the Ezekiel study during the Jewish High Holidays for a miniseries we are calling “High Holidays for the Goyim.” When is Yom Kippur?Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. It falls on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, exactly 10 days after the celebration of Rosh Hashanah. That means Yom Kippur is the climactic day of atonement following a long reflective period. This year, on the Gregorian calendar, Yom Kippur starts at sundown on October 11th and ends at sundown on October 12th.Support the show

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on October 2nd and concludes at sundown on October 4th. Tonight, Jewish families around the world will gather for the start of their High Holiday season. Now that we live in Miami, this is the first time my kids have been in a public school that has off for Rosh Hashanah. I hope Christians will open your hearts about how we can incorporate the themes of each holiday into our own month. And also, how we can love and serve our hurting Jewish neighbors a year out from October 7th. Support the show

Because my mind always holds thoughts of biblical Israel together with concerns over modern Israel, I am struck by the relevance of Ezekiel's Oracles Against the Nations. The prophet's words to the exilic community of 587 BCE still resonate with those in Israel today.When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God. (Ezek. 28:25-26)Support the show

Our focus this week is on Ezekiel 24, the dramatic climax of the book. Until now, Ezekiel's message has served as an ongoing alarm for Jerusalem's impending punishment. For five years, Ezekiel used every strategy in his prophetic playbook to communicate his message: oracles, visions, sign-acts, riddles, parables, songs, rhetorical questions, history lessons, and laments. By cataloguing Jerusalem's sins, he established the city's guilt and validated the need for divine intervention. Yahweh's patience had run its course. Judgement day fell on January 15, 588 BCE. Ezekiel received an oracle from the Lord at the same moment that Nebuchadnezzar's army closed in on Jerusalem's walls. Chapter 24 also tells the tragic story of the death of Ezekiel's wife, and God's command that Ezekiel not publicly mourn her. Support the show

Chapter 23 continues the lewd allegory that began in Chapter 16. Both feature the covenant people's unfaithfulness through graphic marriage metaphors. Chapter 23 rivals Chapter 16 in its pornographic imagery and R-rated content. Guaranteed, neither chapter makes it into many sermons or Bible studies.Chapter 23 continues the lewd allegory that began in Chapter 16. Both feature the covenant people's unfaithfulness through graphic marriage metaphors. Chapter 23 rivals Chapter 16 in its pornographic imagery and R-rated content. Guaranteed, neither chapter makes it into many sermons or Bible studies.Support the show

This week I am interviewing Ted Wright! Ted Wright is the founder and Executive Director of EpicArchaeology.org. He has a B.A. in Anthropology & Archaeology from the Cobb Institute of Archaeology at Mississippi State University, and a M.A. degree in Christian apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary. For over a decade, Ted has been a speaker on Christian apologetics as well as Biblical Archaeology across North America & internationally. One of the super cool things he is doing is currently working as field assistant, photographer, and videographer for the “Agri Regional Archaeological Survey” in Eastern Turkey, co-sponsored by Andrews University and Istanbul University. In fact, Ted just got back from Mount Ararat (Yes, you heard that right….Noah's Mount Ararat) yesterday. We talk all things Mount Ararat, ancient flood epics, and glacial moraines at 13,000 feet.Support the show

In this episode, we explore Ezekiel 22, offering unique insights into the religious life of Judeans during the Babylonian exile. Key points to look forward to:• Gain an insider's view of the exiled community's spiritual atmosphere• Discover Ezekiel's harsh critique of Jerusalem's sins and their consequences• Explore powerful metaphors of metallurgy used to describe God's judgment• Understand the prophet's role in reframing the mindset of the exiles• Learn how this chapter helps explain the fall of Jerusalem from a theological perspectiveWhether you're a biblical scholar, history enthusiast, or simply curious about ancient prophecies, this episode promises to offer fresh perspectives and thought-provoking analysis. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of the Bible and its historical context!"Support the Show.

In our study of Ezekiel 21, I go over the complex tapestry of Ezekiel's fire and sword oracles. The prophet uses vivid imagery as he foretells Jerusalem's impending doom and God's judgment on surrounding nations. Ezekiel is a big believer in bringing his message to life!From cryptic allegories to stark warnings, this episode explores:-The connection between divine fire and sword prophecies- Ezekiel's struggle with his audience's skepticism- The fate of the righteous and wicked in times of judgment- The downfall of Jerusalem - God's ultimate justice for Babylon and AmmonSupport the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This week we are studying Ezekiel 20. Through parables, fables, laments, allegories, and riddles, the prophet spent the previous five chapters undermining the exiles' ingratitude and blame shifting. However, Ezekiel must have grown tired of delivering opaque messages (20:49). In Chapter 20, Ezekiel broke from a long streak of metaphorical language and finally delivered a straightforward history lesson. By recasting their history from God's viewpoint, Ezekiel's overview contrasts Israel's chronic rebellion with God's persistent mercy. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This week we are reading Ezekiel 19. God instructs the prophet to “raise up a lamentation for the princes of Israel” (19:1). Hebrew lamentations, or funerary songs, are a common style in the Old Testament. Often sung at gravesides, traditional laments praised the admirable qualities of the departed and mourned their loss. When King David heard of Jonathan's death on the battlefield, he composed a sorrowful lament acknowledging their strong bond (2 Sam. 1:25-27). Lamentations is an entire book composed of songs mourning the destruction of Jerusalem. Laments also pop up in the Psalms. Thanks to Bob Marley's 1977 track “By the Rivers of Babylon,” biblical laments have even made their way into pop culture.Hebrew poets composed laments with a particular poetic meter with musical qualities that do not come through in English translations, but Ezekiel's audience would have recognized his style immediately. What they may not have comprehended was the essence and underlying meaning of his lament. Unlike classical laments that focus on personal or communal suffering, Ezekiel 19 uses entirely allegorical language. Rather than focusing on the virtues of the departed, it emphasizes the vices of the deceased. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This week we are parsing Ezekiel 18, the prophet's extended theological sermon on individual responsibility and divine justice. We can divide Ezekiel's message into two themes. First, individuals will not face judgment for the sins committed by their ancestors, nor will God credit them for the righteousness of their ancestors (18:1-20). Second, God judges everyone based on their current faith and obedience status, not the sins of their past (18:21-32). He is willing and ready to forgive those who sincerely repent.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This week we are pausing our study of Ezekiel to talk to my friend Derek Gilbert who was recently on a solidarity mission to Israel. Derek has been in the world of broadcasting for decades. He is producer and host of the web radio programs A View from the Bunker and P.I.D. Radio. He also co-hosts Unraveling Revelation with his wife Sharon Gilbert. They are both part of the SkyWatchTV team. We met back in 2019 when I had the chance to visit their studios in Missouri and another time at one of SkyWatch's Defender Conferences. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.As an innovative prophet, Ezekiel never ran out of teaching methods, whether it was a mime, public shaving, small scale enactment of a siege, judgement speech, or a twisted fairytale. In Chapter 17, God commanded Ezekiel to compose a riddle (17:1). The riddle was supposed to expose the treachery of King Zedekiah, a favorite subject of his condemnations. He had already performed an elaborate charade portraying King Zedekiah's botched escape from Jerusalem (12:7-14). His ever-changing communication styles hammered home similar messages. Riddles were a popular party trick in ancient times. Perhaps when he first presented the riddle, bored exiles gathered who were looking to be entertained. However, if his listeners expected amusement rather than condemnation, they had to be disappointed. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.As an innovative prophet, Ezekiel never ran out of teaching methods, whether it was a mime, public shaving, small scale enactment of a siege, judgement speech, or a twisted fairytale. In Chapter 17, God commanded Ezekiel to compose a riddle (17:1). The riddle was supposed to expose the treachery of King Zedekiah, a favorite subject of his condemnations. He had already performed an elaborate charade portraying King Zedekiah's botched escape from Jerusalem (12:7-14). His ever-changing communication styles hammered home similar messages. Riddles were a popular party trick in ancient times. Perhaps when he first presented the riddle, bored exiles gathered who were looking to be entertained. However, if his listeners expected amusement rather than condemnation, they had to be disappointed. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Welcome to Bible Fiber and thank you to Dan and Charlene Selvage for sponsoring this special episode! We are taking a break today from our Ezekiel deep dive to catch up with my friend Brian Sanders who returned from Israel two weeks ago. Brian is the president and CEO of All for Zion ministry based in Dallas, TX. He is also the director and producer of a film series called Why Stand With Israel. He recently released the first film in the series at a world premiere in Jerusalem. This has been Brian's labor of love for 8 ½ years. His hope for the film is nothing less than to inspire the hearts and minds of the Global Church to live out its responsibility to stand with Israel.Brian, I have to say that after watching your film, I felt a stirring in my own heart for our mission at Jerusalem Connection. What you articulate in the film is our exact mission statement. We as an organization work to inform, educate, and activate Christians to be supporters of Israel and friends to the Jewish people. So even though your film was absolutely preaching to the choir with me as the audience, I felt really charged up from it! Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Brian Sanders, president and CEO of All for Zion ministry, discusses his film series 'Why Stand with Israel' and the importance of standing with the Jewish people. He shares his personal journey of coming out of replacement theology and anti-Semitism and how it inspired him to create the film. The film explores the biblical reasons for standing with Israel, refutes misconceptions and lies about Israel, and calls the global church to bless and support the Jewish people. Sanders also discusses future films in the series, including ones on the biblical feasts, anti-Semitism, and Israel's destiny.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This week we are studying Ezekiel 16:44-63, the last third of the longest oracle in the book. Ezekiel replaced the story of the generous king and his adulterous queen with new characters and a different plotline. In the marriage metaphor, Yahweh adopted Jerusalem as an infant and betrothed her when she matured. Ezekiel's follow-on allegory inspected other branches of Jerusalem's family tree. Ezekiel conducted his own version of a sibling study: three sisters separated at birth all make the same mistakes and pay a similar price. The allegory starts with Ezekiel implying that Jerusalem was the butt of a popular joke. Ezekiel wrote, “See, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you, ‘Like mother, like daughter'” (16:44). He commented that just as Jerusalem's mother had hated her husband and children, Jerusalem also hated her husband and children (16:45). Jerusalem was repeating the immoral choices of her mother, as often happens when families get caught up in generational sin. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This week we are studying Ezekiel 16, the longest chapter in the book by far. Ezekiel's extended allegory is 63 verses, which makes this one chapter longer than the books of Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Malachi, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai. Because of this, we will divide Ezekiel 16 into two parts. This week, we focus on the initial 43 verses, which are reflective. In the next episode, we will study the last 20 verses which look to Israel's future. HoseaEzekiel 16 presents a parable using marital terminology to explain the broken covenant relationship between God and his people. His exilic audience was already familiar with the marriage metaphor. Several centuries earlier, God had commissioned the prophet Hosea to marry the promiscuous Gomer as a symbol of the Northern Kingdom's infidelity (Hos. 2:3-15). Hosea and Gomer's marriage was a living parable. Just as Hosea endured heartache from his wayward wife, Israel snubbed God's love. Yet, Hosea's love for Gomer was unfailing, just as God's love for Israel remained steadfast.Hosea's real-life marriage may have inspired Ezekiel's marriage parable. However, in typical Ezekiel fashion, the prophet amplified and stretched the teaching to its furthest and most disturbing extreme. While Hosea's wife, Gomer, was an adulterer, the woman Ezekiel depicted was a nymphomaniac.If Spotify listed Ezekiel 16, they would mark it as “explicit” for language and theme. For this reason, you've probably never heard these chapters preached on a Sunday morning. English translations have tried to soften the more pornographic descriptions in the text, but fully masking the chapter's crudeness would require a complete alteration of its content.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This week we are studying Ezekiel 15. For the first fourteen chapters, Ezekiel's divine dispatches included overpowering visions and bizarre sign-acts. In Chapter 15, he switched his method of communicating, choosing instead to reinforce the message through a series of six parables and metaphors (Ezek. 15-19). The other worldly theme of a throne chariot motored by winged and wheeled composite creatures faded out. In its place, Ezekiel relied on realistic scenes from nature and homelife that would be familiar to every ancient person. He likened Israel to a useless vine, an unfaithful wife, and an abandoned infant. He compared Jerusalem's political alliances to two battling eagles and her last kings to captured lions. Each parable points to the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the awful fate of the city's residents. If Jewish mysticism holds that only mature initiated mystics should ponder Ezekiel's throne chariot, the compilation of Ezekiel's word pictures is the opposite. The parables and their explanations are accessible to all. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Welcome to Bible Fiber! We are taking a break today from our Ezekiel deep dive to catch another archaeologist before he sets off for a summer expedition in Israel. Today's guest is Chris McKinny. Chris has his PhD from Bar Ilan University in Israel. His dissertation focused on the historical geography and archaeology of the town lists of Judah and Benjamin in the book of Joshua. If you have never met a biblical geography junkie, you are in luck because you are going to today.Chris currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at several universities. I had the privilege of taking a class with Chris on the Peoples of the Bible two years ago. He is also a senior staff member on the Tel Burna Archaeological Project which is why he is heading to Israel soon. He is the host of a great podcast called OnScript: Biblical World. Check out his recent episode on the Gilgamesh Epic. A couple years ago, I had a great time in Israel with Chris and the rest of his team at Gesher Media filming an upcoming feature film called Quest for the Throne of God, which I want an update on as well.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background06:41 The Importance of Historical Geography09:48 Tel Burna: Biblical Libna24:39 Discoveries at Tel Burna27:03 The Importance of Architecture in Archaeology33:36 The Formation of Tel Burna38:53 The Quest for the Throne of GodTakeawaysHistorical geography combines physical geography, philology, and toponymy to understand the biblical world.The Tel Burna excavation site is identified as biblical Libna and provides insights into the history of Judah.Despite the ongoing conflict in Israel, precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the excavation team.The Tel Burna excavation project is in its final season, and the focus is on the late Bronze Age and understanding the destruction of the site. Architecture plays a crucial role in archaeology, providing insights into ancient societies and their religious practices.New technologies, such as residue analysis and XRF, are being used to analyze artifacts and understand how people used the land in ancient times.The upcoming film 'The Quest for the Throne of God' explores the story of the Ark of the Covenant and its significance in the Hebrew Bible and Christian theology.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Hello Bible Fiber listeners. Today we are doing something new that will become a monthly feature. Bible Fiber is starting up interviews with Bible scholars, archaeologists, and historians as part of a series we are calling Bible Fiber BFFs.Our first guest is someone who I have pretty regular interaction with as he is the provost of the seminary I attend, The Bible Seminar in Katy, Texas. Dr. Stripling is also the Director of Excavations for the Associates for Biblical Research at Khirbet el-Maqatir and Shiloh, Israel. We are catching him before he heads off to Israel for another excavation in Shiloh on May 14th!We talk about what it will be like carrying out an excavation during the middle of a regional war, what the daily dig process looks like logistically, and the importance of Shiloh in the Bible. Dr. Stripling  also expresses his hopes for the upcoming excavation season!Support the Show.

Our sponsor of today's episode is Jim Werner who has kindly dedicated his sponsorship to my family. As many of you know we are a military family and like lots of other military families this month, we found out we have orders to move again which means there has been some tears mixed with silver linings. So thank you Jim! You probably did not even know how timely your dedicated sponsorship message really was! This week we are studying Ezekiel 14. The chapter begins by introducing Ezekiel's company. He recorded, “certain elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me” (14:1). Perhaps it was the same delegation of elders that waited in Ezekiel's home while the divine spirit transported him to Jerusalem (8:1). Tel Abib, the refugee encampment where Ezekiel lived with the rest of the exiles, likely had an abundance of leaders. According to Nebuchadnezzar's policy, the first captives the Babylonians deported were Jerusalem's political, religious, and cultural elite. Although they had no political independence once in Babylon, the captives must have transferred some of their social order from Jerusalem to the refugee encampment as they made paltry attempts at self-governance. 

This week we are studying Ezekiel 13. At the end of Chapter 12, last week, we discovered Ezekiel had resisters among his peers in Tel Abib. They rejected him as a doomsayer and doubted if his prophecies would materialize (12:28). In the next two chapters, we discover Ezekiel was not only up against cynics dismissive of his prophecies. He also faced counterfeit prophets who actively contradicted him with oracles of their own (12:11-14:11). While Ezekiel pronounced the coming judgment, they spoke of the coming deliverance. He preached repentance, and they encouraged patience. To all those guilty of propagating falsehoods, God had a strongly worded dispatch: “Alas for the senseless prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing” (13:3). 

In last week's episode, Ezekiel offered encouragement and comfort to the exiles, who worried that they were excluded from God's plans for the nation of Israel. Surprisingly, Ezekiel identified them as the prophesied remnant. To help them chart a fresh course, God promised to gift them a new heart made of flesh (11:19). Instead of rejoicing over the good news, Chapter 12 reveals that a contingent of exiles rejected Ezekiel as a divine messenger. His oracles and sign-acts, no matter how forceful and dramatic, were unsuccessful in getting through. Despite Ezekiel's best efforts, they remained stonyhearted. God warned Ezekiel, “Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear” (12:2). Other prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, used this same terminology to describe the epidemic of spiritual indifference in their time (Isa. 26:11; Jer. 5:21). Jesus, six hundred years later, also described how his teaching failed to affect those with deadened senses. Jesus used parables to reveal the purpose of his mission, recognizing that only those with perceptive eyes and attentive ears would understand his teachings (Matt. 13:13-15). For those listeners who were spiritually awake, the parables revealed “the secrets of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:10). Like Jesus, Ezekiel hoped his message broke through to the seeing and hearing remnant, even if the spiritually blind and deaf rejected it.

This week we are studying Ezekiel 11, the concluding sequence in Ezekiel's multi-part vision, and his last message before the glory of the Lord departed Jerusalem. So far, the prophet has taken a tour of the temple's abominations, observed a squad of executioners on a killing spree, and watched the man in linen drop fiery coals on Jerusalem. The last episode ended with the Lord mounting his throne chariot to depart the temple complex, but his glory paused over the east gate. Chapter 11 opens with the divine spirit depositing Ezekiel at the east gate where the throne chariot still hovered (11:1). 

In Ezekiel's vision of the departing presence, the glory of the Lord was represented by a cloud. God's glory coming in the form of a cloud would have been familiar to Ezekiel and his audience. In the early days of Israel's wilderness wandering, the Israelites were comforted by the divine cloud as it settled atop the tabernacle and filled the tent with the divine glory (Ex. 40:34). Throughout those forty years, the cloud was a constant reassurance that Yahweh abided in their midst. When the cloud lifted, it was time for the people to decamp and move to the next site. As they moved sites, the cloud moved as well, demonstrating that Yahweh remained with his itinerant people. The most terrifying aspect to Ezekiel's vision was that Yahweh's cloud of glory was moving out of Jerusalem without the covenant people. Acting with his own free and divine agency, God did not invite the Jerusalemites to follow him. The glory of God made a solo exit.

This week we were going to go over Ezekiel 10, the next chapter in our Ezekiel study. Ezekiel 10 is one of the lowest lows in the entire book because it records when God's glory exited the Jerusalem temple. But that did not seem like the right message two days before Resurrection Sunday. I still regret doing a podcast on the Philistines five days before Christmas. So, we are going to pause Ezekiel this week and instead focus on a prophetic passage that Jesus himself used to introduce his ministry on earth. We are looking at Isaiah 61 and its connection to Luke 4. Isaiah 61 begins:  The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. (Isa. 61:1-2).This passage in Isaiah is one of the most remarkable prophecies in the book. It throbs with messianic hope. On one particular Sabbath service in Nazareth, sometime around 27 AD, Jesus was the special congregant called up to the pulpit to read Isaiah 61. 

Ezekiel watched as God summoned six executioners forward to take their places in the temple courtyard. The executioners each wielded a weapon for slaughter (9:2). Initially, Ezekiel referred to them as “guards,” but their task was not to protect the temple city. Although he also referred to them as “men,” they behaved more like angelic assistants than regular mortals. They only purposed to do God's bidding.In addition to the six executioners, God summoned one scribe, a man dressed in linen with a writing kit strapped to his side. The scribe also has angelic like qualities. The word Ezekiel used for writing kit was an Egyptian loanword to describe a professional scribe's carrying pouch. Scribal kits usually contained a writing palette, a pen, and two colors of ink. 

This week we are studying Ezekiel 8, the prophet's second visionary experience. Ezekiel had been living in exile for five years without any updates about the situation in Jerusalem. One day, toward the end of his 430-day stint of lying on his side, he envisioned a messenger of God, fiery like gleaming amber, picking him up by his hair and supernaturally transporting him to Jerusalem. Out of all the prophets, Ezekiel may be the best at delivering a well-crafted hook. In describing his transport, Ezekiel said, “the spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem” (8:3). In my imagination, Ezekiel traveled the thousand miles from Babylon to Jerusalem in the same manner the characters traveled in Madeline L'Engle's science-fiction book The Wrinkle in Time. In the book, Meg Murray, the main character, moved between places and eras by “tessering,” wrinkling the fabric of space-time. Ezekiel was reluctant to “tesser” which is why his divine guide had to grab hold of his hair. Again, this is all in my head where literature sometimes colors the Bible's missing details and tessering is L'Engle's made-up verb. According to the biblical text, Ezekiel's body remained in Babylon, but his mind had a full sensory experience in Jerusalem.Ezekiel noted that the vision occurred “in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month” (8:1). Ezekiel used the sixth year of King Jehoiachin's reign as his reference point, even though Jehoiachin was exiled in Babylon alongside him and not actually ruling over anything. (There is a lot more to say about King Jehoiachin, but I am going to save that for the episode on Ezekiel 17.) Ezekiel's date works out to 18 September 592 BCE. According to his precise chronology, the Jerusalem vision occurred fourteen months after he first saw an apparition of God's throne chariot by the Chebar River and accepted his call to the prophetic office. According to the text, a delegation of elders was with Ezekiel in his home when he had the visionary experience. They were likely lay leaders who came to Ezekiel seeking an oracle from the Lord. Despite the excesses of his sign-acts, the people recognized him as a prophet. Perhaps they inquired about Jerusalem and the fate of their compatriots, or they came because his elaborate sign-acts were a sight to behold. 

This week we are studying Ezekiel 7. On last week's episode, our prophet-in-exile addressed the mountains of Israel from the plains of Babylon. In the two episodes before that, Ezekiel spoke to the city of Jerusalem. This week, he expands his message to all “the land of Israel” in a highly evocative sermon (7:1). We are only seven chapters into Ezekiel, but the message is starting to feel like the reverse of the classic folktale of Chicken Little. In the folktale, after an acorn falls on Chicken Little's head, he falsely determines that the sky must be falling. He spreads the news to all his animal friends, like Lucky Ducky and Henny Penny, and total hysteria ensues in the community. Ezekiel had the opposite experience. He knew the proverbial sky was falling and it was not the result of naivety or a misunderstanding of gravity. As God reveals the inevitable devastation of Jerusalem, the panicked tone in Ezekiel's prophecies ratchets up. However, unlike Chicken Little, the Israelites did not take his warnings seriously.