Examining the Bible

What happened to John after the Gospels? There's a BIG gap in the life of John (and even Christianity) between the Book of Acts and the Book of Revelation. This episode will look at the "old school" research during this time, a look at the Emperor, and also an anecdote about the failed execution of John, which resulted in him being sent to Patmos.

Jesus made some very unique promises in front of John. First, he accepted John's request to die a martyr's death that was similar to how Jesus was about to die. Yet in other places, he makes some bizarre comments that imply that one of the disciples will have a part to play in the End Times. Sitting here in 2022, I know the End Times have not come yet (Seal 6), so what does that mean about Christ's promises to those sitting with him long ago? Before we can unravel the meaning of "If I will that he tarry till I come," we need to look at some other times Jesus seemed to promise that John "should not die" until the End Times. This episode will set up my theory of John being chosen as 1 of 2 witnesses to stand toe-to-toe with Team Antichrist in the final days.

In this study of John, we look at the "teachers" in John's life, the Baptist, Jesus, and Mary, and also a few guest speakers like Elijah and Moses. This episode also ponders the purpose of the "silent summer" between the baptism and the ministry period following the Feast of Tabernacles.

What did Mom ask? We'll look at the humorous (and powerful) incident on the road to Jerusalem where the Zebedee family showed their willingness to follow Jesus to the bitter end.

Episode Two goes into the background of the beloved disciple himself. In doing so, we'll delve into the theory that John was only a teenager and look at several verses that seem to support this theory.

Meet the family of John: His father Zebedee, his mother (whose name is not certain), and his brother James (which James is that?). We'll discuss his role as a second son, the social status of his father, his mother as a follower of Christ, and a clarification of the three Jameses (James Zebedee, James Alphaeus, and James Clopas).

Why did I choose to do a study of John the Beloved Disciple? Because it didn't make any sense. This series will look into the man, the myth, and the Biblical legend of the Beloved Disciple.

In the last segment of the Nativity Story, Jesus is brought to Egypt. Why? To fulfil some prophecies and to avoid King Herod. This episode will explore a few theories on where in Egypt Jesus stayed and the timeline of Herod's death.

Who were the Magi? Where did they come from? What was special about their gifts? All of these questions and more will be explored in this study of the Magi.

Do you remember when Jesus cursed the fig trees on Easter week? Well, in this metaphor, Jerusalem was the fig tree and the fruit it bore? Well, when he was a baby, Jerusalem still had some righteous people living in it (Anna and Simeon) and also a few rotten apples (Caiaphus and Herod). Episode 10 will take a look at some of the locals during Mary and Joseph's visit to the Holy City. And when did they visit? I'll throw my hat into the ring and support the old-school tradition of...December 25th.

So Mary and Joseph left for Bethlehem... Episode nine explores the complexity of that Roman census and the names associatated with it. It also explores the ideas on WHEN and WHY Joseph would have been willing to make the trip to Bethlehem. As always, there are strange nuggets of legend and lore that amplify the Gospel account.

If Jesus shared no DNA with Joseph, then why did Matthew and Luke include him in the geneology lists? The answer: a promise had been made. In accepting Mary into his home, Joseph represented the sum of Biblical patriarchs who had also accepted the promise of the Christ. This episode examines the traditional marriage ceremony and looks closely at the choices Joseph made prior to leaving for Bethlehem.

Both Zecharias and Mary show that they have a "big picture" understanding of the role John and Jesus will play in the salvation of humanity.

Who's the other baby in the Nativity Scene? While most nativity scenes only show Jesus, John the Baptist would have been around during the same period. Thirty years later, John connects with Jesus again at the Jordan River. Episode Six explores Gabriel's meaning when he tells Zacharias that the baby will connect to the Elijah prophecy.

Episode Five examines a few minor characters in the Christmas story--Zacharias, Elizabeth, Gabriel, and the strange baby, John.

Did Jesus have an aunt and uncle? How about cousins? Or did Mary and Joseph ever have more kids? Episode Four jumps out of the Christmas story to explore some of the names that show up later in the narrative, especially "the other Mary" who is described as being the wife of Clopas. Never heard of Clopas before? Well, they knew who he was back in the 2nd century AD.

In Episode Two, author Jason Willis compares the Gospel accounts of Mary with other accounts that have seeped into tradition. This episode will examine the location and implication of the "overshadowing" moment along with some insight into who Mary was and where she came from.

So what did a first century Jew expect when mentioning the Christ? From the Samaritan woman at the well to King Herod in Jerusalem, it seems most folks not know knew a Christ was coming but had some pretty defined expectations. Episode Two of the Examinging Christmas Series will look at the Old Testament texts that helped define the views of the Christ. We'll also jump into the "big picture" purpose of the Christ, with a large part of the episode dedicated to the theory that Revelation 12 is a flashback explaining the cosmic conflict between Jesus and Satan.

The first episode of Jason Lee Willis's study of the Christmas story looks at the BORING geneology lists, which feature four scandalous women with a common symbol...the Scarlet Thread. Besides looking at the reasons the two lists are different, Willis will examine why the lists bring up the Scarlet Thread and what it means for us.

There are a few strange circumstances involving the death of Moses. How did he look so good at 120? What happened to his body? We will also look at his relationship with the Christ, especially a focus on the Transfiguration and the deeper meaning of Psalm 91

If the town of Blue Earth is not in Blue Earth County, and the town of Faribault is not in Faribault county, could Mount Sinai not be in the Sinai Peninsula? Episode 11 takes a look at "the Mountain," known as Horeb and Sinai. When Moses referenced the Wilderness of Sin, what was he describing? What made Horeb so special? We'll look at the traditional Jabal al Musa, the new theory for Jabal al Lawz, and then look at some of the numbers the Bible gives us.

Moses walked right into an ambush. After the 10 plagues, a short exodus, and crossing the Red Sea, Moses and Company are attacked by the armies of Amalek. Who? That's a good question, and to defeat this guy with 600,000 Hebrews, you even need supernatural help from God (the staff). Even though Moses and Joshua win the day, God promises that the "War with Amalek" will continue through the generations. So Episode 10 looks at some possibilities for this faceless enemy.

So they left Egypt... For most folks, this is a very uninspiring thought, but for me, the maps showing the Exodus route drove me nuts. How do you get to Canaan? What is the Red Sea? Where is the border of Egypt? Where is Midian? If they left from the Land of Goshen, walked for at least a few days and a few nights (to see the pillars change), then how far would they be from Goshen. How long did it take for Ramses to realize they were going the wrong way? Where did he plan to trap them and force them back? After all these thoughts bounced around in my head, I came to a VERY CONTROVERSIAL realization: Moses really did cross THE Red Sea. Find out why this matters in Episode 9

Episode 8 of the Examining Moses series discusses the 10 plagues, specifically with the epic line "against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment." With this in mind, Willis examines the gods of Egypt that would have borne the brunt of God's wrath.

"The Greatest Trick the Devil Ever Played Was Convincing the World He Didn't Exist." If true, then what about the trick pulled by Belial? Don't know the name Belial? Well, Episode 7 discusses the classic "wizard battle" between Moses and the Priests of Belial, Jannes and Jambres. This one is a bit Dark.

During Moses' exile, he stayed in the land of Midian, where he met his future wife. Yet Jewish historian Josephus describes her as one of the Troglodytes. So what is a Troglodyte? Yes, we talk about caves and cave people in this episode.

Why didn't Moses go to Canaan instead of Midian when he was a fugative? Episode 5 delves into the lore behind the Land of Milk and Honey, including the Canaanites, the giants, and Anak, father of the Anakim. A bit more "fantastic" than a normal episode, but SOMETHING had to keep Hebrews out of Hebrewville, right?

Episode 4 takes a look at the youth and early life of Moses. Why was he educated by the Egyptians? Did you know ancient historians wrote about him being a general? Or did you know that he married an Ethiopian woman named Tharbis? Aaron and Miriam knew. Following the "Ramses Theory," this time in Moses' life would have meant King Tut was Plan B for Foster Mom's plans (when Moses rejected a marriage offer to an Egyptian). It also mean his foster family was in the cross-hairs of Horemheb, a common Egyptian looking to restore Egypt back to pureblood Theban blood.

Talk about a Soap Opera! While there are all sorts of "Princess" candidates to draw Moses from the water, Jason Lee Willis's "Ramses Theory" would mean Moses would have been a baby in perhaps the most turbulent era in Egyptian History--the 18th Dynasty. Who were the figures of the 18th Dynasty? Oh boy! It's like Game of Thrones with old houses from the Delta and the new power in Egypt, the Theban Court. We will examine Amenhotep III as the "baby killer," Akhenaten as foster dad, and Nefertiti as the princess who plucked a Hebrew baby from certain death.

In Episode 2, adult Bible study leader Jason Lee Willis looks at the concept of the "new" pharaoh mentioned in Exodus. Who was this new king? Why didn't he know Joseph? Why did he want to "keep" the Hebrews rather than let them leave? This episode will feature the Hyksos invasion, and contrast this historical event with the introductory verses of Exodus chapter one.

Examining Moses explores the life and times of Moses. Episode One focuses on trying to match of the timeline of Moses' life with the accounts found in Egyptian history.