The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

This is a "jet-tour" study  (December 13, 2022) on the fascinating subject of "Angelology" in which we consider what the Scripture tells us about the other personal, intelligent, emotional, volitional creatures of God's Kingdom (besides humanity). We discuss such subjects as: Do angels really have wings? Why are the fallen angels unredeemable? Why did God allow Lucifer to rebell against Him to begin with? How many archangels are there? Why are angels called a "host," and not a "race". Have angels ever appeared in female form?  What is the only place in Scripture where seraphim are mentioned? How are the cherubim described in Scripture (it certainly is not as chubby little toddlers with wings, holding a bow and arrow or a little harp)? Do we have such a thing as a "guardian angel"?  Why are angels also called "watchers" - who and what are they watching? Do people become angels when they die?  THESE and many other interesting biblical truths about God's holy angels are discussed in this lesson that also talks about what the angels learn from us ... and what we can learn from them!!

Since Israel's return to her land, the Book of Ruth is now seen with even deeper prophetic significance than ever before.  It is far more than a picture of Christ and His redemptive love for His mostly-Gentile "Bride," the Church.  There are two additional "love stories" in this account; they are between Naomi and Ruth (i.e., Israel and the Church) and Boaz and Naomi (Christ's love and eventual restoration ofIsrael).  Find out the importance of Leviticus 23:22 - a verse that does not seem to belong in the middle of God's instructions regarding the seven Jewish feast days; yet it does fit - plus it connects us to the Book of Ruth!  SO MUCH NEW INSIGHT TO AN OLD, FAMILIAR STORY - YOU WILL LOVE THIS STUDY!

Although you may be very familiar with the small Old Testament Book of Ruth, you will come away from this two-part study of it with a brand-new understanding of its prophetical significance.  There is so much more to be "gleaned" than a romantic, redemptive "love story" between Boaz and Ruth and how their relationship pictures Christ and the Church!  As history has progressed, new revelation from an old book has come to light! 

Are there "hidden" messages in the Tabernacle?  Yes!  It is full of wonderful secrets and treasures - such that even Indiana Jones would be shocked to discover (and, hopefull, become a believer in Christ)! See "the Way," and "the Truth," and "the Life" in the three Tabernacle "entrances"!  See Christ in the gold-covered Acacia wood of the Tabernacle Proper!  See the Trinity in the three main parts of the Tabernacle Proper and find out where Their three crowns are located within that Holy Place!  Discover the interesting connection with the "pathway" of the Tabernacle (from the Eastern Gate entrance to the Holy of Holies) and the "path" of salvation.   Find out the sigificance of the names of Moses' two God-chosen, God-giften construction forement and how they together pictured Christ Jesus.  Learn why, for the first and only time in the long wilderness journey of Israel, we don't hear her murmuring and complaining!  In fact (other than the shocking golden calf incident), she was unusually obedient, generous, and united!  It was a good time for Israel as she worked together in building "God's House"!

This is a continuation of our Old Testament look at finding the Lord Jesus Christ in the Book of Exodus!  Do NOT think to yourself that Exodus is not a very interesting book of Scripture - or that it is not relevant to us today. Why? Because you would be 100% wrong!  There is so much "of us" in the Israelites wandering in the wilderness of this world that a look at them is like a look in the "mirror"!  Also, there is so much of our Saviour on every page - and in every aspect of of God's "Masterpiece Type" of His Eternal Son, the Tabernacle, you will truly be both surprised and super-blessed.  This study is what you call "rich meat"! 

Why is it important for believers in Christ today to learn about the ancient dwelling place of God's Holy Presence with Israel?  How many different earthly dwelling places (tabernacles; temples) are there if we begin with Eden and end with the Heavenly "Eden"?  How did both Eden and Mount Sinai connect with the Tabernacle?  What clues are found in the Ark of the Covenant to help us know how God could be merciful on law-breakers?  Why is it that Adam was innocent, but not righteous even before the Fall?  What was AMAZINGLY significant about the Israeli encampment around the Tabernacle?  How many times did Moses go up and down Sinai (at 80 years old)?  How long did it take to build the Tabernacle and how does that fact possibly relate to the true birth date of Jesus Christ (for this, you'll need to listen to all three messages)! There are 50 chapters in Scripture regarding the Tabernacle, its priesthood, its furnishings, its sacrifices, and its significance in regard to Christ and His atonement work on the cross of Calvary.  There are only 2 chapters on the Creation account.  So, do you think the Tabernacle is important to God?   You will be enriched by this study - EVEN IF you have studied the Tabernacle many times before!    

NEW STUDY - The "grand finale" of the Lord's seven cross-sayings is full of electrying power and will give you spiritual heartburn for sure!  We not only discuss the Lord's great, "It is finished" declaration and all that was included in His declaration, but we point out the four times when God declared - or yet will declare - the completion of His various works (i.e., His creative work, His redemptive work, His judgment work, and His re-creative work)!  We also talk about how Jesus Himself was not finished at all - in fact, part of the joy set before Him while He endured the pain and shame of the cross was the anticipation of the many "new beginnings" He had before Him! In His seventh and final cross-saying, which was again a prayer (and one that showed He was again united spiritually with His Father), was filled with both Human submission and faith and Divine authority!  No one took His life from Him - He dismissed His own spirit into His Father's care as a King would dismiss a servant!  Again, His death (like everything in His life) proved He was Who He claimed to be - the very Son of the Living God!  The fantastic series of miracles that accompanied the moment of His death - and the resurrection of dead saints from their graves on Resurrection Sunday (after Christ's bodily resurrection) - all again served the purpose of testifying to the truth that "Surely, He IS the Son of God" (did the Roman centurion get saved? It certainly seems so)! By the way, you don't want to miss hearing about the significance of the Temple veil renting in two right as Christ royally bowed His head and gave up His own spirit.

  Was the 3-hour crucifixion-darkness merely a sun eclipse? No; that would be impossible (find out why).  Was it just over "Skull Hill" or over Jerusalem or perhaps the entire nation of Israel - or did it extend even further?  Are there extra-biblical, historical records to confirm that eerie darkness? Yes - and from some surprising sources!  What was God saying by way of that darkness? Listen and find out!  To fully pay the wages of sin for mankind, the Lord Jesus had to die both physically and spiritually.  We know from the gospel records and many New Testament passages that He did indeed die physically, but how do we know He also died spiritually - that His soul was separated from His Heavenly Father?  We know from His middle (4th of 7) cross-saying!  He did not cry out (in a loud voice), "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" because He did not know the answer!  (He already answered it, through King David, in Psalm 22:3.)  He cried it out loud so we can rest assured that He died spiritually and the wages of our sin is therefore paid in full. Discover, also, the reason Jesus cried out (again in an unusually loud voice for someone just minutes from death), "I thirst" (His fifth cross-saying).  There is a lot more in that statement than just the evidence of His Human suffering!  His mind was so incredibly alert - as demonstrated by the reason He spoke of His thirst - that there can be no doubt He is omniscient God!  MUCH TO DISCOVER IN THIS GREAT FOUR-PART STUDY! 

In this second part of our NEW STUDY on the Lord's Seven Cross-sayings (and the miracles that accompanied His atonement work on "Skull Hill"), we discuss His second and third sayings - plus the first miracle! There is something significantly special about a dying person's final words, but this is particularly important when it comes to the final pre-resurrection words of Jesus Christ.  They give us insight (a peek inside) His mind and spirit and as we look at them, it will become quite evident He was absolutely in control over the entire ordeal – from Gethsemane to Golgotha to a Garden Tomb (not the Romans, not the Jews, not the spectators, and certainly not Satan)!  Jesus proved to be both our Saviour and our Sovereign, from beginning to end – from when He was being horrifically nailed to the cross to the moment He majestically bowed His head and regally, as a King, dismissed His spirit into His Father's hands. As with everything regarding Christ, His 7 cross-sayings serve as further proof of His Person as the God/Man.  He was dying as a Man (shedding real blood, in horrific agony, thirsting), but His composure, control, character, compassion, and selfless concern – revealed both by His words and the miracles that accompanied His cross-atonement work – testify to the truth spoken by an impartial witness of everything – Truly this is the Son of God. The salvation of the penitent thief was actually fulfillment of a prophecy found in Isaiah 53!  He also symbolically represents all of us!  Learn new and exciting truths in this lesson.  Also, find out more about the women who were with Christ at the foot of His cross - and why the Lord addressed His mother as "woman," not "mother".  

In this FIRST BIBLE STUDY after a 25 month "COVID" BREAK, we "set the stage" for a wonderful four-part, indepth study on "The Seven Sayings and Seven Miracles in Six Hours".   The title, of course, is about Christ's words during the six hours of His crucifixion, and the seven miracles that proved His Deity (2 were "Conversion Calvary Miracles" and 5 were "Creative Calvary Miracles").  A primary focus in this BRAND NEW STUDY is the absolute sovereign control displayed by the Lord Jesus during His entire "ordeal" - from Gethsemane to Golgotha to the Garden Tomb!   In this first study, we discuss some interesting facts about three men saved during the Lord's crucifixion, and how they represent all men.  We also take a look at His first cross-saying, which was a prayer, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do".  Three of His Seven sayings from the cross were prayers, which was so very much "in character" for the One Who spent His entire life in communion with His heavenly Father.   THERE IS A LOT COMPACTED IN THIS STUDY and YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT, plus the three follow-up lessons!

No one can understand human nature without taking into consideration the most basic law of humanity, "The Law of Sin".  Genesis chapter 3 contains the record of man's Fall.  It is the only reasonable explanation for the depraved human nature and life in a sin-cursed world full of evil, decay, and death.  Genesis 3 presents the only adequate explanation for the universal presence of sin. This is A MUST lesson for every serious Bible student.  Why did God permit Satan's entrance into the Garden?  Who is Satan?  Why would a wise, good, loving God create the Devil?  Why doesn't He simply destroy him?  [Answers to those last two questions, "He didn't, but He will".] In this lesson, we discuss "The Devil in Eden" (His descent to Earth and His disguise in Eden) and "The Dialogue with Evil" (Eve's spiral downward as she doubted and distorted God's Word and listened to Satan's flat-out denial of God's Word and his false depiction of God's character).

"Woe! Man!" was (in effect) Adam's response to the Lord's amazing birth day gift to him! The Lord God did not declare everything He created to be "very good" until He created woman (examine the text if you don't believe me).  Man was only half His plan for the human race; Eve was in the mind of God long before she was in the arms of Adam! There is no way on earth to compromise the theory of evolution with the Biblical creation account of woman, so those who try to push their ideas of what they call "Progressive Creationism" or "Theistic Evolutionism" need to absolutely rethink their position. We discuss the Christology of Adam's deep sleep and the Hebrew meaning of the word "rib" - out of and from which came his "bride" - and the institution of marriage (think of Christ and His Church)!  This is a fascinating lesson with a lot of truths you may never have thought about previously.

Genesis 2:8-17  A Special Paradise (with one special Garden, two special trees, and four special rivers), a Specific Project, and a Single Prohibition!   The name "Eden" comes from "edhen," a Hebrew word that means "delight".  A "garden" is a place enclosed, protected, and sheltered.  Eden was the place in which the garden was planted.  It had a special delight for man, not so much because it was more perfect than the rest of Earth (which was all perfect at that time), but because God specifically made it for man's delight.   Matthew Henry said, "God did not put man in a palace made of silver and gold, nor in a house made of ivory, but in the most beautiful and artful place of all: nature - a Garden furnished and adorned by God Himself".   We disccuss so much more it is impossible to put it all down in this brief description!  You just need to listen yourself.

Genesis 2:1-7 The second chapter of Genesis is not only a record of the seveth and final day of the Creation Week, but it provides some details about the prehistoric earth and the creation of the first man and woman not included in the first chapter.  The chapters do not contradict, as some have claimed - and we discuss why they do not. We also discuss the timing of Lucifer's fall.  We talk about why God created everything in stages, rather than all at once, and the answer is interesting and another testimony to His care and concern for man.  From this look at Genesis 2:1-7, we talk at length about the Sabbath rest.  Also included in this study is a brief look at how wonderously the human body is - and what a testimony to the Creator we are!  

Okay, you HAVE to listen to this message, "No More Monkey Business"!  In this critical lesson, we give documented evidence about the various  hominids or "ape men" (aka "missing links" between apes and humans) that have been used by evolutionists in their attempt to disprove the Biblical account of man's origin, from God.  We discuss, with documentation, the truth about all these pieces of "evidence" (i.e. Ramapithecus, Australopithecus, Peking Man, Homo Erectus, Java Man, Piltdown Man, Neanderthal Man, Nebraska Man, etc.).  This is AN EYE-OPENER, for this world has been greatly "hoaxed"!  We also discuss and analyze another great hoax that has been put upon the world - the age of the earth!   This is a lesson for you, your children, and grandchildren!  It is time for the truth to be known!

Genesis 1:26-41 This is the account of the crowning summit of God's creation, man.  We discuss the inter-Trinitarian conversation of Genesis 1:26 ("Let Us make man is Our image," which proves God's multiple Persons in One Godhead (we analyze why He was not speaking to anyone outside Himself).  Then, we look at His creation of man, His commission to man (i.e. man's privilege to reproduce and his privilege of responsibility, called "the cultural mandate"), His cuisine for man, and His closing creation comment (1:31). Included in this study are four ways in which man differs from the animal world.  We discuss what it means that we (humanity) are made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:24, 25a This is Part I of the sixth day's creation activity regarding land animals.  We discuss all kinds of amazing creatures and how they testify of an Intelligent Creator.  Share this lesson with the whole family - together learn how God's creatures, from the smallest to the largest, testify against evoultion!  Learn about the incredibly complex self-defense system of the Bombardier Beetle, the mimicry phenomenon of many creatures, which baffle evolutionists and testify to a Creator.  Learn about the sophisticated vibration sensors of moles, the upside-down pouch of the female wombat, the communication frequencies of frogs, the hibernation process of ground squirrels, the duckbill platypus, the elephant's built-in cooling system, the incredible neck of the giraffe, fire-breathing "dragons," and much more!

Genesis 1:20-23 In this lesson on God's fifth day of the Creation Week, we discss how the Biblical record of creation clashes "head on" with the naturalistic theories of origins.  There can be no compromise between the two.  We talk about Louis Pasteur (a creationist) and his work to prove the falacy of the spontaneous combustion concept.  We also discuss the important Law of Biogenesis!   How does the creation account of Genesis, as well as the Book of Job, tell us dinosaurs did not live on millions of years before people?  And how does the fossil record provide evidence that men and dinosaurs lived contemporaneously? We discuss the amazing DNA super-molecule, which stores all the coded hereditary information for every living organism (and how it defies evolution).   Ever hear of the cleaning symbiosis arrangement between certain creatures?  It is a process that would never have "survived" the "trial and error" process offered by evolutionists!  What about the migratory instincts of many fish and fowl?  Again, it  totally disallows a piecemeal "trial and error" evolutionary process over millions of years.   If man wants to truly understand where life came from, he merely has to look around at creation; it will tell him in abundant ways!  "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain it to you!" (Job 12:7, 8).  

Genesis 1:9-13.  God finished His formation work and began His filling work!  See what He filled it with in this lesson!

Genesis 1:14-19.  God created the heavenly bodies on the fourth day of the Creation Week.  This means the sun was created after the earth according to Biblical Creationism.  This directly contradicts evolutionary teaching that the earth was either thrown off from the sun or that both the earth and sun condensed from a huge "protosun" of whirling dust and gas billions of years ago.  We discuss why any attempt to compromise creationism with evolutionism does NOT work! Also discussed in this lesson are the following Cosmogonies (evolutionary theories about the origin of the universe):  The Big Bang Theory, The Fission Theory, and The Steady-State Theory".  We also discuss how the two laws of thermodynamics, "the Law of Mass-Energy Conservation" and "the Law of Energy Decay" refute any theory that the universe somehow randomly created itself - that matter and energy came from nowhere.

Genesis 1:6-8 This lesson is on the Spirit's inspired account of the second day of the Creation Week.  We discuss how absolutely perfect this planet we call "Home" is!  Everyone should be thankfully amazed about the incredible details that had to "come together" for Earth to be a livable place.  Forethought, planning, and design are everywhere abundantly evident!  We talk about the creation of the atmosphere and hydrosphere of our uniquely designed planet.   We also mention more "tri-unities" in our world - you will be excited to realize how MANY there are!  I guarantee you won't hear about them from the secular world, for they present too much obvious evidence of their Tri-une Creator!

Genesis 1:3-5. We discuss God's first set of "Ten Commandments" and His principle of separation (found from day one of creation until the end of Revelation), and the "Day-Age Theory".  We discuss what the light of day one was, since the sun was not created until day four.  We also discuss some of the vast differences between belief in Creationism from Evolutionism and how it is literally impossible to attempt to compromise the two in such ways proposed by "The Gap Theory," "Progressive Creationism," and "Theistic Evolutionism".    The stages of creation found in Genesis chapter one follow a natural sequence; each creative act was necessary before the next creative act could take place.  It was all done in a precise and orderly process.  Man could not have survived if the order of creation was rearranged or in a different sequence.   

Genesis 1:1b and 1:2.  We discuss the creation of the heavens and Earth, giving a serious critique of two creation theories: 1.  The Gap Theory and 2. The Unshaped Earth Theory.  Also discussed is the Holy Spirit's part in the creative work - the movement of the Spirit is extremely fascinating when we discover the meaning of the Hebrew word for "move" in Genesis 1:2.

This is the sixth and final episode of our chronological synopsis of "The Life of Christ" from the four gospel of the New Testament.

The fifth in a six-part "jet tour" summarization of Christ's earthly life, studied chronologically through the four gospel account of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  See Part I for a longer blurb on this study.

See lesson entitled "Jet Tour of the Life of Christ - Part I" to learn about this six-part quick study of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus.

The third in a series that summarizes our lengthy "Life of Christ" chronological study through all four gospel accounts.  See Part I for the blurb to explain more about this six-part study.

This is the second in our six-part study on "The Life of Christ" - a "Jet Tour".  Learn quickly a great deal about the Saviour of the world!

This is the first of six lessons that were a summarization of our long Life of Christ study (which took 8 years the first time taught and 12 years the second time).  We did something unusual - we studied all four gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) together, chronologically.  Using Dr. A. T. Robertson's "Harmony of the Gospels," we took Christ's earthly life one step at a time.  One lesson we would be in the Gospel of John; the next lesson in Luke or Mark; sometimes there are events covered by all four gospel writers and sometimes only one was inspired by the Spirit to include an event or a sermon.   These six lessons serve as a type of "Jet-Tour" through this long study - so hang onto your hats as we cover a lot of territory!

John 17:20-26 This is the section (verses 20 to 24) of Christ's High Priestly Prayer in which He prayed for all future believers (if you are a believer in Him, this is what Jesus prayed for you)!  What did He pray?  He asked for our witness for Him to be successful on earth and in Heaven; for the world and for His glory.   In some of the Lord's last words spoken in the presence of His men, the Apostles heard Him pray for yet-unborn people who would believe on Him because of their witness!  He was telling them, through the prayer, that the Gospel would prevail even in the face of the world's hatred and their weaknesses.  In the midst of all their confusion and despair, that must have been a blessed comfort to hear.  Facing soon betrayal, arrest, and death, Jesus was not discouraged nor did He sound in any way defeated!  In future vision, He could behold the faces of the millions of people who would swell the ranks of His current little flock!  It was part of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)!  I hope that flock includes YOU!

John 17:11b-19 The longest recorded prayer from the Lord Jesus in Scripture is found only in the gospel of John; it is called His "High Priestly Prayer" in that much of it is a prayer of intercession on behalf of those He loves.  It was actually a pre-cross "sneak" preview of Christ's post-cross intercessory work as High Priest of His Church. In this lesson, we discuss the Lord's requests made to His Heavenly Father on behalf of the Apostles.  He prayed for their unity, for their joy, for their protection, and for their sanctification.

John 17:6-11a This lesson continues our study of Christ's "High Priestly Prayer" of John 17, which very neatly falls into three outline parts.  First, the Lord prayed for Himself (see Lessons 160a and 160b).  Second,  He prayed for the Apostles.  Third, He lifted up His voice in prayer to His Heavenly Father to pray for all future believers. We talk about the reasons the Son of God prayed for His men (the Apostles), and there were four of them given.  The specific requests He asked for them are found in Lesson 162a.

John 17:1-5 The seventeenth chapter of the gospel of John is what many great men of God have considered to be "the Holy of Holies" of the Word of God.  In this sacred chapter, the veil before the Most Holy Place is pulled aside and we are allowed to listen to inter-Trinitarian communication.  The Lord Jesus spoke audibly, in the presence of His disciples, to His Heavenly Father after He concluded His "Farewell Discourse" (John 14 to 16).  His special prayer is the longest recorded prayer of the Son of God. In the first part of His prayer, the Lord Jesus prayed for Himself.  We discuss three aspects of this part of His prayer (see also Lesson 160b): (1) the purpose for His prayer, (2) the posture of His prayer, and (3) the petitions of His prayer.

This is a single, one-hour long message that takes the listener from Eternity Past to Eternity Future and God's whole plan for HIS-story and His redemption plan for the apex of His creation, mankind!   It is a "Jet-tour" through the Bible!  Everybody on Planet Earth needs to understand the substance of this message, for it is the absolute truth about our existence and the meaning of life!

John 17:1-5 In what Warren Wiersbe calls "the Holy of Holies" of the Gospel record (Christ's High Priestly prayer of John chapter 17), the Son of God asked two "petitions" for Himself  We discuss those two important requests in this lesson (continuation of Lesson 160a).  

A great SUMMARY of the 7 GOD-GIVEN FEAST DAYS, which serve as PROPHETIC PICTURE-TYPES of the MAJOR EVENTS in His OVER-ALL REDEMPTION PLAN (4 Spring Feasts: Christ's First Coming / 3 Fall Feasts: His Second Coming).  The Feast of Weeks (in Hebrew, Shavuot and in Greek, Pentecost) is the fourth Spring feast given to Israel by God in Leviticus 23.  It comes 50 days after the third Spring feast, the Feast of Firstfruits.   It was on the 50th day of her "new life" (freedom from her bondage to Egypt) that God, from Mount Sinai, gave Israel the Torah (the Law).  The rabbis declare this to be the "birth" of Judaism.  Is it not fascinating that the same feast day is celebrated by the Jews as the birth of Judaism and by Christians as the birth of the Church!   The Spirit's arrival on Pentecost 50 days after Christ's resurrection on the Feast of Firstfruits was the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks.  This is what Luke meant when he wrote, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come" (Acts 2:1).  A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO LEARN! 

FASCINATING STUDY!!  Learn how each of Israel's four God-given "Spring Feasts" (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and the Feast of Weeks, aka "Pentecost") presented a prophetic type of a very significant event concerning the First Coming of Christ.  Learn why this lesson is entitled, "Israel's Pentecost"!  Find out the amazing parallels between the great event at Mount Sinai when God "came down" to give Israel the Law (which rabbis declare to be the "birth" of the nation of Israel) and the Day of Pentecost, when God the Holy Spirit "came down" to fill believers in Jesus, and the Church was born.  Did you know both events were accompanied by wind, fire, smoke, and "voices" ("languages")?  Did you know it was 50 days after Israel's Exodus from her bondage in Egypt that she received "The Mosaic Covenant" from God, and it was 50 days after Christ's "Exit from death" (His resurrection) that believers (the new-born Church) received "The New Covenant" from God? This is a lesson to hear several times - and then share with your family and friends!  God's Word is perfect!

Angelology - the study of angels!  This lesson contains a lot of information on angels.  There is so much disinformation about angels in the world - everything from thinking that "good" people become angels when they die (totally false) to worshipping angels!  When did God create the angelic host?  Did Lucifer fall before or after God's creation of man?  Are the total number of angels set forever or can they perish and/or reproduce?  When was the last time the Bible records angels singing (this is a question most people get wrong)?  Why is it so much better to be a fallen human being than a fallen angel?  Are there ranks among the angels?  What about spiritual warfare in the heavenlies?  How many archangels are there?  What is the difference between cherubim and seraphim?  Are there male and female angels? A very fascinating study! 

In Acts chapter 7, Stephen was making his defense against the accusations that he had blasphemed Moses, God, the Temple, and the Law.  In doing so, he was also (unknown to the High Council of Israel, at first) building his case of indictment against his accusers! The most important thing Stephen was accomplishing in his powerful sermon was presenting the Jews of the Sanhedrin with evidence for faith in Jesus! He did this by using two key figures from Israel's history: Joseph and Moses.  In this lesson, which is Stephen's jet-tour account of the life of Joseph, the Council members heard for the first time the Biblical account of Joseph used as a graphic illustration of their own evil, envious betrayal and murder of Jesus!

Genesis 45:16-50:26 In this final lesson on the life of Joseph, we come to perhaps the most emotional moment in the entire Old Testament - the tearful reunion of Joseph with Benjamin, his other 10 brothers (who betrayed him), and, finally, with his father Jacob, who thought he was long dead.  It is an excellent account of a truly Christlike man's ability to forgive those who hurt him and to give testimony to God as he declared that what men meant for evil, God orchestrated for good!  This is a wonderful picture of what will one day yet-future take place at Christ's Second Coming, when finally His "brethren" (the Jews) will bow before Him, acknowledging Him as Lord and Saviour in genuine repentance. An addition 9 ways in which Joseph's life typified Christ are included.

Genesis 43:11-45:15 The plot grows thick as Joseph, the Vizier of Egypt, deals with his brothers, who do not yet know he is their brother they betrayed and sold as a slave for 20 pieces of silver many years earlier!  He speaks Egyptian and does not let them know he understands everything they say to one another in Hebrew.  This is surely one of the most thrilling narratives of Scripture as Joseph "tests" his brothers to see if they are truly repentant and changed men from what they once were in their treatment of him. Eleven additional ways Joseph pictured Christ are presented.

Genesis 41:14-43:10 Joseph finally arrived at the time we label his "years of forgetting (forgiving) and fruitfulness"!  The butler's brain at long last remembered the godly young man in the prison who so accurately interpreted his (and the baker's) dream, and he recommended him to Pharaoh who likewise needed a dream interpreter!  In one day, Joseph was lifted from the prison to the palace, where he sat as "prime minister," second only to the king!   In this lesson, we learn 22 more ways in which Joseph pictured Christ!  You do not want to miss this great way God proves Scripture is His Word, which is through prophetic types!  Studying typology truly brings the Bible to life, my friends.  It is not taught enough these days!

Genesis 37:36-41:13 In this second part of our look at the life of the patriarch Joseph, we find another 13 ways his life prophetically portrayed the life of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  With this lesson, Joseph's years of toil and affliction come to an end as he is finally lifted from the pit of prison to the palace of Pharoah!

Genesis 33:-37:45 The next four lessons, which are on the life of Joseph, come from the Caldwell Commentary study entitled "CHRIST in GENESIS". Joseph, the last of seven prominent men in the Book of Genesis, has more space devoted to him than any of the others (Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).  This is likely because almost everything in Joseph's life prophetically typified the Lord Jesus Christ in His two advents.  In this four-part study, we will discuss 82 ways in which the life of Joseph pictured-in-type the life of the Lord!

https://podnews.net/podcast/1500410875/episode-links  In this lesson, we discuss the Lord's final week of His public ministry on earth.  It is commonly referred to as His "Passion Week," and it began on Palm Sunday.  We briefly talk about the events of each day of that most significant week, but the primary emphasis of this study is on the day of His crucifixion.  There are three main views on this debate.  They are the (1) Wednesday view, (2) the Thursday view, and (3) the Friday view (of which there are two).  We discuss each view and its pros and cons.  The conclusion reached is that the Bible best supports a Thursday crucifixion.  Although the most important fact is that Jesus did, indeed, die for the sins of the world, it is still good for believers in Him and His Word to know why they believe what they believe.  Should we simply believe something because it has always been "the traditional" way of things, or should we search the Scriptures to find what best supports our view?    

The original Passover was the Gospel in living illustration!  God's primary purpose of the Passover in Egypt was to prophesy of the True Lamb of God" to be slain on Passover day.  It is the oldest, continuously observed holiday in human history, having been celebrated for some 3,500 years by Jewish people the world over in obedience to God's command of Exodus 12:14. The Passover celebration has a distinct "order" to it; the Hebrew word for "order' is "seder".  In this lesson, we procede through "The Passover Seder" and explain the historical reasons for the various items on the Seder Plate (i.e. matzo, bitter herbs, a roasted shank bone of a lamb, charoseth paste, an egg), what each of four cups of wine symbolize, why there are pillows on the chairs around the table, and an empty chair and place setting, etc. But the Passover is so much more than a memorial celebration of Israel's physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt.  It is an absolutely INCREDIBLE typological prophecy of Christ and the spiritual deliverance from mankind's bondage to sin.  If you have never experienced a Seder from the Messianic perspective, you are in for "an eye-opener"!  The unity plate with its three wafers of unleavened bread - the middle one of which is BROKEN and WRAPPED IN A WHITE LINEN NAPKIN, HIDDEN from view, and then FOUND amidst great rejoicing and reward for the finder - amazingly pictures Christ's death, burial, and resurrection!  In fact, the Jews call that broken, wrapped, hidden, and then rejoicefully-found piece of unleavened matzo, the "Afikomen" (a mysterious Greek word in an otherwise Hebrew Seder).  Non-Messianic Jews use this term, but do not realize its significance!  Find out what the word "Afikomen" means in this study!  Share this message with Jewish friends and pray they realize their Messiah has already come!!

From the well-known account of the circumstances surrounding the conception and birth of the Lord Jesus, we discuss interesting truths not usually included in the re-telling of "The Christmas Account".   It is important for everyone to know about "The Jeconian Curse" (Jeremiah 22:30) and how the Lord Jesus ALONE qualifies to be Israel's rightful King.   It is also important to know the announcement that broke 400 years of inter-Testimental silence and how the two people directly involved in that announcement have Hebrew names which together remind the world that the Lord remembers His covenant promises! We discuss how important it was that Herod chose the Roman method of taxation rather than the Jewish method, for otherwise Jesus would not have fulfilled the Messianic prophecy of Micah 5:2.  The virgin birth; the significance of the glad tidings being given to Bethlehem shepherds; the two elderly witnesses of Christ, Simeon and Anna; the interesting details about the Magi from the East and their knowledge regarding the curious "star" that appeared in the sky, disappeared, and then reappeared again and how it is connected to Balaam; the fascinating dual-fulfillment prophecy of Isaiah 60:3, 6 - these are all subjects discussed in this lesson.  You will have something NEW to teach this year at Christmas!

Genesis 35:1-29 Jacob's family had sunk to the level of the immoral and sordid society around them; rather than lifting the Canaanites from the idolatry in which they were deeply entrenched, Jacob had permitted those false "gods" to penetrate his own camp.  Rather than being a blessing to the lost people of the land who desperately needed to see Jacob and his family as holy and pure so they would be drawn to their God, the Israelites had become a curse to those around them.  According to Jacob's own words, the "stuck up" the place (34:30) and were hated with a passion because of "The Shechem Massacre" committed by his sons. The good news is that God had not forgotten His covenant promises; so, no matter how many times His children failed Him, He encouraged them to pick-up where they strayed and to get "back on track".  Jacob knew Bethel was God's appointed place for him, but he had delayed and detoured.  It was time for him to go "Back to Bethel"!

Genesis 33 and 34 These two chapters of "the book of beginnings" do not star Clint Eastwood; rather, the main characters of the first "act" of this narrative are Jacob and Esau, whose reconciliation after 20 years turned out to be relatively "good".  The main characters of the second "act" are Jacob's daughter Dinah and two of his sons, Simeon and Levi.  Dinah was raped by the Hivite prince of Shechem, and that was "bad," but the situation turned very "ugly" when two of Dinah's brothers took revenge upon not just the prince, but the entire population of the city of Shechem.  Jacob is definitely not seen as a good father in this entire episode.  It is a very ugly blemish on the patriarchal line of the Saviour - which again demonstrates why ALL men (women) NEED the Saviour!

Genesis chapters 32 and 33 This lesson is from our study on "CHRIST in GENESIS".  It is the about the wrestling match between the pre-incarnate Christ and Jacob and contains some extra information from that presented in Lesson 76.

Genesis 32:22-32 One thing to realize as you listen to this lesson on the famous wrestling match of Jesus and Jacob is that it was the pre-incarnate Lord Who wrestled all night with Jacob to get something from him - and what He wanted was Jacob's absolute surrender!  At the end of the "match, there was something Jacob wanted, but he did not wrestle the Lord all night to get it.  It wasn't until the morning light of a new day and until his hip was dislocated and Jacob could do nothing but cling to the Lord, that he begged for a blessing and would not stop clinging until he got it! This is not a sad picture of a loser - a pitiful failure - a weakling!  This is the picture of a spiritually strong man, for Jacob finally had been broken of his self-will.  He was finally dependent on God!  His clinging is a picture of a man of faith surrendered to God's will. This is an important lesson for all of us, for we all wrestle with ourselves - our carnal nature with our spiritual nature!