Podcasts about Assyria

We explore the pivotal moment when Assyria invades Israel, marking a turning point in biblical history. Delve into the rise of the Assyrian Empire and its conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. Discover how King Hoshea's failed alliance with Egypt led to Israel's downfall and the implementation of Assyria's deportation policy. Learn about the spiritual significance of this event as a divine judgment for Israel's persistent idolatry and disobedience. This episode examines the fulfillment of biblical prophecies, the fall of Samaria, and the exile of the Israelites.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

In this Daily Devotion for October 1, 2026, Pastor David Balla walks through Psalm 83:7-9, where a growing coalition of enemies, even the great empire of Assyria, lines up against God's people. Rather than panicking, the writer looks backward, remembering battles God had already won, and asks Him to act again the same way.This devotion applies that same pattern to prayer today. When new threats grow bigger than expected, look backward first. Remember what God has already done through Jesus, defeating sin and death once for all. That victory already happened and belongs to you completely. There we find true grace, forgiveness, and salvation, secured permanently, not dependent on the size of whatever coalition rises against you. Through His redemption we are welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven, and in the Lord's Supper that same finished victory is placed into your hands again, His true body and blood given for the forgiveness of sins.No coalition, however large it grows, can ever undo what Jesus has already accomplished. Nothing and no one can take it back from you.Subscribe for weekly sermons and Daily Devotions.If this devotion has blessed you, consider supporting this ministry: https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalphYou can also give directly at https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalphHashtags (5)#DailyDevotion #Lutheran #LCMS #BibleStudy #Christianity

Dive into the fascinating story of Jonah and the rise of Assyria. Explore the prophet Jonah's reluctant journey to Nineveh, his attempt to flee God's call, and the miraculous events that follow. Discover how God's mercy triumphs even in the face of Jonah's resistance. Learn about the historical context of the Assyrian Empire and its significance in biblical history.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

00:00:00 Ezekiel 1 – Ezekiel's Vision of Four Living Creatures and the Glory of the LORD00:04:24 Ezekiel 2 – Ezekiel's Commission as a Prophet and the Roll of a Book00:05:52 Ezekiel 3 – Ezekiel Eateth the Roll and is Made a Watchman unto Israel00:10:05 Ezekiel 4 – The Type of the Siege of Jerusalem and the Iron Pan00:12:52 Ezekiel 5 – The Type of the Hair and the Judgment of Jerusalem00:16:09 Ezekiel 6 – The Judgment of Israel for Their Idolatry and a Remnant Saved00:18:36 Ezekiel 7 – The Final Desolation of Israel and the End is Come00:22:36 Ezekiel 8 – The Vision of Abominations in the Temple at Jerusalem00:25:53 Ezekiel 9 – The Vision of the Marked Men and the Slaughter in Jerusalem00:27:59 Ezekiel 10 – The Vision of Coals of Fire and the Cherubims00:31:26 Ezekiel 11 – The Presumptuous Princes and the Promise of a New Spirit00:35:00 Ezekiel 12 – The Type of Ezekiel's Removing and the Captivity Foretold00:39:09 Ezekiel 13 – The Reproof of Lying Prophets and Untempered Morter00:42:58 Ezekiel 14 – Idolatrous Elders Reproved and the Unavoidable Judgments00:46:57 Ezekiel 15 – The Unprofitableness of the Vine Tree00:48:03 Ezekiel 16 – The Unfaithfulness of Jerusalem and God's Covenant of Mercy00:58:06 Ezekiel 17 – The Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine01:01:59 Ezekiel 18 – The Soul That Sinneth, It Shall Die01:06:58 Ezekiel 19 – A Lamentation for the Princes of Israel01:08:49 Ezekiel 20 – The Rebellions of Israel and God's Promise of Restoration01:16:46 Ezekiel 21 – The Sharp and Bright Sword Drawn Against Jerusalem01:21:45 Ezekiel 22 – A Catalogue of Sins in Jerusalem and the Smelting Furnace01:26:09 Ezekiel 23 – The Whoredoms of Aholah and Aholibah01:33:22 Ezekiel 24 – The Parable of the Boiling Pot and the Death of Ezekiel's Wife01:37:20 Ezekiel 25 – Vengeance Against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and the Philistines01:40:03 Ezekiel 26 – The Destruction and Ruin of Tyrus Foretold01:43:37 Ezekiel 27 – The Rich Supply and Great Fall of Tyrus01:48:45 Ezekiel 28 – The Judgment of the Prince of Tyrus and Zidon01:52:52 Ezekiel 29 – The Desolation of Egypt and Pharaoh's Judgment01:56:15 Ezekiel 30 – The Desolation of Egypt and Her Helpers02:00:02 Ezekiel 31 – The Glory and Fall of Assyria as a Cedar02:03:25 Ezekiel 32 – A Lamentation for the Fearful Fall of Egypt02:08:45 Ezekiel 33 – The Duty of the Watchman and the Justice of God's Ways02:14:04 Ezekiel 34 – A Reproof of False Shepherds and the Promise of the True Shepherd02:18:50 Ezekiel 35 – The Judgment of Mount Seir for Their Hatred of Israel02:20:58 Ezekiel 36 – Israel Comforted with Promises of Blessing and Renewal02:27:01 Ezekiel 37 – The Vision of the Dry Bones and the Two Sticks02:31:17 Ezekiel 38 – The Malice and Judgment of Gog02:35:07 Ezekiel 39 – God's Judgment Upon Gog and the Restoration of Israel02:39:37 Ezekiel 40 – The Vision of the Measuring of the Temple02:47:38 Ezekiel 41 – The Measures, Parts, Chambers, and Ornaments of the Temple02:51:37 Ezekiel 42 – The Chambers for the Priests and the Outer Measures of the Temple02:54:32 Ezekiel 43 – The Glory of the LORD Returneth into the Temple02:59:03 Ezekiel 44 – The East Gate Kept for the Prince and the Priests' Ordinances03:04:34 Ezekiel 45 – The Portion of Land for the Sanctuary, City, and Prince03:09:14 Ezekiel 46 – Ordinances for the Prince's Worship and the People03:13:27 Ezekiel 47 – The Vision of the Holy Waters and the Borders of the Land03:17:22 Ezekiel 48 – The Portions of the Twelve Tribes and the Gates of the City

→ Watch on YouTube → Detailed Show Notes (00:00) In these chapters the Lord comforts and gives hope to Israel. He promises that he will never abandon us.(03:15) King Hezekiah seeks the Lord's advice through the prophet Isaiah as Assyria approaches Jerusalem.(11:12) In whom do you place your trust? King Benjamin invites us to remember the greatness of God.(15:13) Isaiah 40 can be read as a temple text. Isaiah sees the council of divine beings in heaven.(24:00) The Lord gives encouragement to Israel, and reminds them that he has always been there through their trials.(35:34) The four Servant Songs contained in Isaiah.(40:04) Different interpretations of “Who is blind, but my servant?” The Joseph Smith Translation opens up other ways to read this servant song.(44:40) The Lord proclaims his loyalty to Israel, saying “I will do a new thing.”(50:07) Isaiah warns of idolatry and contrasts Jehovah with the Babylonian god Marduk. He emphasizes that the God of Israel carries us, but the Babylonian god must be carried.(53:29) Isaiah prophesies of Cyrus, the king of Persia. Cyrus is portrayed as a deliverer because he allowed the Jews to go home to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.(56:58) How the Cyrus prophecy is understood in scholarship. A middle path for approaching “Second Isaiah.”(1:00:19) Isaiah foretells the destruction of Babylon. Babylon leaves the throne and Zion takes her place.(1:06:27) The prophecy of the House of Israel in the last days. Isaiah shapes his argument in “the covenant treaty formula.”(1:08:20) The Lord tells Israel, “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”(1:12:07) The House of Jacob has come out of the waters of Judah.(1:17:01) The Book of Mormon adds the significant phrase “the feet of those who are in the east shall be established” in 1 Nephi 21.13. Some see this as evidence of Isaiah being edited.(1:20:30) Israel has lost her children, but her children will be gathered again. → For more of Bryce Dunford’s podcast classes, click here. → Enroll in Institute → YouTube → Apple Podcasts → Spotify → Amazon Music → Facebook The post Ep 391 | Isaiah 40-49, Come Follow Me 2026 (Sept 28-Oct 4) appeared first on Talking Scripture.

The Lord's love remains on Judah but he cannot allow her rampant evil and adulterous idol worship to continue. Time and again He has called them to repent, but they continue to love their wealth, their sin, and their idols more than the Lord their God. The Lord will send Assyria from the north to conquer Jerusalem and Judah, making it a desolate wasteland. He sends Jeremiah to ensure that everyone in Judah has heard, going throughout Israel with this message like a grape gatherer whose hand passes over the branches to make sure he has been thorough.Jeremiah 4 - 1:11 . Jeremiah 5 - 9:34 . Jeremiah 6 - 17:49 . Psalm 118 - 24:47 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

The Lord has announced through Jeremiah that he will send Assyria from the north to conquer Jerusalem and Judah, making it a desolate wasteland. He sends Jeremiah to ensure that everyone in Judah has heard this news, going throughout Israel with this message of God's impending wrath like a grape gatherer whose hand passes over the branches to make sure he has been thorough. This disaster is coming because the nation has rejected the Lord's instruction. The people trust their institutions, ceremonies, and temple more than they trust the Lord Himself, as evidenced by their empty religious practices and rampant sin.Jeremiah 6 - 1:03 . Jeremiah 7 - 8:56 . Proverbs 6 - 16:32 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

How did ancient Assyria use divination, astrology, and animal livers to make decisions of war, government, and royal policy? Under King Esarhaddon, the Neo-Assyrian Empire developed one of the ancient world's most sophisticated systems of omen interpretation, combining centuries of recorded observations with extispicy, celestial omens, ritual expertise, and consultation with the gods.This episode examines the intellectual world of Assyrian divination and the system of experts who advised the royal court. Mesopotamian scholars collected and analyzed omens over generations, searching for correlations between unusual events, astronomical phenomena, medical symptoms, animal behavior, and subsequent historical outcomes. Their methods could involve careful empirical observation, elaborate textual traditions, linguistic interpretation, and an underlying theological assumption that the gods were ultimately responsible for events in the natural and political world.At the center of the episode is Esarhaddon, king of Assyria from 681–669 BCE, whose surviving correspondence preserves an extraordinary record of royal consultation with scholars and diviners. We examine letters from court intellectuals, the formulation of oracle questions, the use of sacrificial sheep in extispicy, and the interpretation of the liver and other internal organs as signs of divine intention.The episode also explores the specialized scholarly professions surrounding the Assyrian court: the ṭupšarru or learned scribe and celestial observer, the bārû or diviner and haruspex, the āšipu or ritual and magical specialist, the kalû or lamentation priest and chanter, and the asû or physician. Together these experts formed a complex advisory system through which observations were gathered, questions formulated, divine answers interpreted, and practical, ritual, or religious responses carried out.More broadly, the episode asks how closely Mesopotamian omen scholarship resembles science. Assyrian and Babylonian scholars relied heavily on accumulated observation, classification, written records, specialized training, and the testing of inherited traditions against experience. At the same time, their investigations remained embedded within a theological model in which the gods were the direct causes of events and deliberately made their intentions visible through signs.Topics include Neo-Assyrian religion, Mesopotamian divination, extispicy and hepatoscopy, Assyrian astrology, the State Archives of Assyria, Esarhaddon, ancient science, omen literature, cuneiform scholarship, the Tablet of Destinies, Enūma Anu Enlil, Šumma Ālu, Šumma Izbu, royal prophecy, ritual magic, and the intellectual culture of the ancient Near East.Music from the show: oldeststories.net/music (or search "Oldest Stories Music")Support the show:Books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhSDonate: oldeststories.netPatreon / YouTube members get bonus episodes: patreon.com/JamesBleckleyNo-AI readings of ancient texts: youtube.com/@osnightreading

I. The Parallels of Nahum to Jonah 1. Just as Jonah declared that God is long suffering and gracious (4:2), so Nahum acknowledged divine grace while affirming the Lord is also jealous and avenging (1:3).2. In Jonah, God appointed a storm and then calmed the sea (1:4, 15-16; 2:10-3:5), and in Nahum, God directed the rivers to flood Nineveh in order to destroy the city (1:8; 2:6).3. In Jonah, God allowed the prophet to reach dry land (2:10), and in Nahum, God rebuked the sea and made it dry in judgment (1:4).4. In Jonah, the common people were spared (3:5-10), but in Nahum, all the people were scattered (1:2; 3:18).5. In Jonah, the message reached the king, and he repented (3:5-10), but in Nahum, God addresses the king and describes his demise (3:18-19).6. In Jonah, both the sailors and the prophet offered vows to God (1:16; 2:9), so Nahum called Israel to pay their vows and give praise to the Lord for His judgment (1:15).7. In Jonah, the book ends with a question (4:11), so the Book of Nahum ends with a question (3:19). The only two books in the Bible that do that. BTW - They are two very different questions! 8. Nahum's description of the Ninevites mourning at the fall of their city intended to evoke the prophet Jonah and his hopeful mission. Nahum described the woman moaning like doves (2:7), that is what Jonah's name means (“dove”). Nahum means “comfort,” and he was true to his name, for God comforts those decimated by the evil of others.I.  The RISE of Assyria (History)II. The RESCUE of Assyria(Jonah)III. The FALL of Assyria (Babylon)•  The Character of God = Exodus 34 (again) - Jonah 4:2; Joel 2:13; Nahum 1:4= Sin must be punished (“guilty”)= Wrath & Grace - “The Lord is good” - Psalm 1:5; 9:16; 19:9 (NASB); 36:6; 51:4; 105:5; 119:120 •  The Judgment of God = against Assyria (by Babylon) = against Babylon (by Persia)= against Persia (by Greece)= against Greece (by Rome)•  The Comfort of God = for Judah = until Babylon (587 BC)= Then Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, & Malachi = Comfort in the Bible - II Thess. 1:5-12; Revelation 11:15-18

Lisa and I discuss the remarkable faith of Martha and Mary. I weigh in on the hubbub over Steve Lawson's new book. Plus, in our Prophets segment we consider Nahum's message to God's people and to Assyria. Finally, how we miss the point if we miss that the Prophet Nathan is telling each of us, "Thou art the man."

Text: Isaiah chapters 40 – 55; 2 Kings chapters 18 – 19; Chronicles chapters 29 – 32;  3rd Nephi chapters 21 – 27 relating to Isaiah. Supplemental Text: The Fourth Thousand Years chapters 20-21 BYU Lecture 40  Once the Bible reader grasps the scope of Isaiah's prophesies he cannot help being amazed at the vast, encyclopedia of foreknowledge which the Lord entrusted to this one man. Isaiah was one of those who knew a great deal about today and our marvelous age of miracles, along with the devastating disasters which could summarily sweep us into oblivion if we fail to do our part. In some ways, Isaiah knew us better than we know ourselves. For Israel, Isaiah proclaimed his message of pleading and warning for more than 20 years before Israel fell to Babylon in 721 BC. He denounced violence, immorality and dishonesty of the people calling them to repentance. Isaiah must have been delighted when the 25 year old son of Ahaz named Hezekiah, became the new king. His first task was to repair, sanctify and re-dedicate the temple which his father ransacked and defiled. Soon, the people began to follow Hezekiah's lead and began to repent. After destroying the northern 10 tribes of Israel, Assyria storms down through Judah and threatens to destroy Jerusalem. In preparation for this war and siege, Hezekiah carves the famous water tunnel through limestone rock. Isaiah prophesies that God will save Jerusalem and send a blast upon the mighty Assyrian army. When the king of Assyria arose in the morning, he found 185,000 of his soldiers dead. He abandons his war plans and flees back to Ninevah. As prophesied by Isaiah, Babylon conquers Assyria and then destroys Jerusalem in 721 BC, devastating the temple, community and city walls. In 539 BC, Babylon is conquered by Cyrus of Persia, also prophesied by Isaiah, even by name. He also prophesied of the coming of Christ, of America, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon (stick of Joseph), the restoration of the gospel, latter-day temples and the second coming of Jesus Christ. The discovery of America by Columbus is discussed and the many white Nephite people found alive as noted in his diary. Also discussed is the unfortunate mass slaughter of the indigenous people by well-meaning Catholic priests under the leadership of Cortez and Pizzaro; all prophesied by Nephi.

This sermon begins to explore the doctrine of God's providence, defined as His active provision and control over all creation to fulfill His divine purposes. The teaching emphasizes that God's actions are consistent with His attributes of wisdom, goodness, and omnipotence, urging believers to trust Him even when circumstances are difficult or incomprehensible. Through scriptural examples ranging from natural phenomena like snow and thunder to historical events involving Israel, Assyria, and Babylon, the message illustrates that God governs both the physical realm and the affairs of nations. The preacher highlights that while humans may not understand the specific reasons behind God's actions, His sovereignty ensures that all things work together for the good of those who love Him. The tone is pastoral and reassuring, encouraging the audience to abandon doubt and rest in the confidence that God is ultimately in control.

Like Jonah before him, the prophet Nahum preaches devastation and ruin for Ninevah, only this time Ninevah doesn't repent. Ninevah was the capital of Assyria, a nation of unparalleled power and wealth which had recently decimated the nation of Israel. Though they thought themselves to be secure from danger, their downfall came after nearby rivers flooded the city and destroyed part of the city wall, allowing Babylon to enter easily and set it ablaze. Later, we're introduced to King Josiah, who is one of Judah's most notable kings, as he rediscovers the book of the law and mourns that God's wrath is surely coming upon them.Nahum 1 - 1:06 . Nahum 2 - 4:29 . Nahum 3 - 8:09 . 2 Kings 22 - 12:30 . Proverbs 4 - 17:05 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

With perpetrators in exile, closure is out of reach. As Syria's new authorities seek to hold figures of the former regime accountable, questions remain over the fate of Bashar al-Assad. The former president and members of his inner circle were granted asylum in Russia after a rebel offensive drove him from power in 2024. The transition ushered in a new chapter for Syria, raising hopes for justice, after decades of repression. In this episode, we assess the obstacles standing in the way of accountability, justice and closure. Can victims of Assad's brutal reign find redress when some of the regime's most notorious figures remain beyond the reach of Syrian courts? Find out more about BBC Monitoring on our website: https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/Contributors: Tess Mallinder Heron, Clare Denning, Feras Kilani, Amalia Zatari Producer: Clare Denning, Tess Mallinder Heron, Kriszta Satori Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg Music: Pete Cunningham

Season 24: Jonah | Should I Not Have Compassion?Lesson One - Go To NinevehWatch us ONLINE! Click here!Show Notes:Jonah contains one of the Bible's shortest prophecies, spoken by an unlikely, rebellious prophet. To begin this new season, “Should I Not Have Compassion?” we will share key background information about the book of Jonah.Nineveh was not the capital of Assyria, but it became Assyria's glorious capital 60 years later, under King Sennacherib around 700 BC.However, Assyria was Israel's brutal enemy, a nation known for cruelty and violence. Nineveh was a massive, important regional city. Jonah wasn't merely avoiding an inconvenient assignment. He was being asked to deliver a message of mercy to people he likely believed deserved judgment rather than grace.The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. Jonah 1:1-3Song: All Because of Mercy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t-JDBZvoyc&list=RD6t-JDBZvoyc&start_radio=1

We completed the book of Isaiah in our last episode and now we're back in the narrative histories of 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings. Hezekiah's son Manasseh takes the throne and turns the good of his father's kingdom upside down by participating in every kind of spiritual evil imaginable. As such is the case, God says through his prophets that he will clean Jerusalem out like a bowl, turning it upside down. 2 Chronicles records that Manasseh is taken captive by Assyria later in life, at which point he repents and turns to the Lord for help. Before his death, he turns Judah back to the Lord, but only in partial obedience. His son Amon will take the throne after him, but will only reign for two years, repeating his father's mistakes.2 Chronicles 33 - 1:04 . 2 Kings 21 - 6:15 . Proverbs 3 - 12:13 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Isaiah 10 reveals that God rules sovereignly over nations, rulers, and the events of history. Dave Jenkins examines God's condemnation of injustice, His use of Assyria as an instrument of judgment, the certainty of judgment on human pride, and His preservation of a faithful remnant. This chapter ultimately points to Christ, the King above every king, whose reign will never end. For more from Reading the Bible Daily with Dave please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/reading-the-bible-daily-with-dave/

Isaiah 10 reveals that God rules sovereignly over nations, rulers, and the events of history. Dave Jenkins examines God's condemnation of injustice, His use of Assyria as an instrument of judgment, the certainty of judgment on human pride, and His preservation of a faithful remnant. This chapter ultimately points to Christ, the King above every king, whose reign will never end. For more from Reading the Bible Daily with Dave please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/reading-the-bible-daily-with-dave/

→ Watch on YouTube → Detailed Show Notes (00:00) Isaiah lived in the 8th century, a time that began in relative peace but later led to great destruction under the conquest of the Assyrian empire, which destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah was an advisor to several kings and lived about 100 years before Nephi. Micah, Amos, and Hosea are contemporaries of Isaiah.(10:52) Jesus quoted Isaiah and encouraged the Nephites to study his words. Isaiah was the most quoted prophet among the New Testament authors, and his works were important to the Qumran community.(13:02) Ways to enhance your study of Isaiah.(20:28) A brief overview of the entire book of Isaiah.(23:13) A brief overview of chapters 1-12.(25:31) The Israelites are described as apostate and rebellious. The Lord asks that they “reason together,” saying that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”(31:53) Isaiah uses metals as a metaphor for people. When he describes the silver as dross, this could carry different meanings. Isaiah stresses that “a remnant will return.” Isaiah 1 reflects the destruction enacted by the Assyrians.(40:07) Isaiah sees the future latter-day temple in the tops of the mountains. The temple established in Jerusalem represents the millennial hope of peace. He prophesies that the idols people worship will be cast into caves, to the moles and the bats.(45:39) The daughters of Zion are cursed and tormented for their worldliness. Isaiah discusses three missing objects: the staff, clothing, and the bread. These items can be associated with the temple in Isaiah's day.(54:33) The parable of the vineyard portrays several ways the Lord will bless us when we follow him.(1:09:15) Isaiah sees the Lord and is called as a prophet.(1:15:13) Isaiah is commanded to “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”(1:21:32) Political intrigue and foreign policy issues facilitate Isaiah's prophecy of three special children.(1:33:40) The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The King of Assyria is going to be destroyed, just as he destroyed other nations.(1:36:49) The procession of Assyria's forces approaching Jerusalem is illustrated. The remnant of Jacob will return in the last days.(1:39:50) Isaiah sees a tree cut down, leaving only a stump. Though this tree seems dead, Isaiah sees that it will come back to life and a new tree will grow out of the stump. The prophet Joseph Smith has a prominent role in the rebuilding of the tree.(1:42:54) Isaiah sees that peace and order will be restored in the millennial day and that broken things will be healed. → For more of Bryce Dunford’s podcast classes, click here. → Enroll in Institute → YouTube → Apple Podcasts → Spotify → Amazon Music → Facebook The post Ep 389 | Isaiah 1-12, Come Follow Me 2026 (Sept 14-20) appeared first on Talking Scripture.

1842Bronze Age Clay Tablets Uncover DiplomacyEric H. Cline, author of Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed, Part One: Discovered in 1886 at Amarna, Egypt, the Amarna letters consist of roughly 380 clay tablets written in Akkadian cuneiform from the 14th century BCE. British Egyptologists Archibald Henry Sayce and E. A. Wallis Budge compete to acquire these artifacts for the British Museum. German scholar Hugo Winckler and the "Young Berliners" lead the scientific breakthrough in translating and categorizing the archives. The correspondence reveals complex diplomatic exchanges between Pharaohs Amenhotep III and Akhenaten and rival great powers in Babylon, Assyria, and the Hittite Empire. Significantly, the archives contain the earliest non-biblical references to CanaaniteJerusalem under King Abdi-Heba. (1)

Text: 2 Kings chapters 14 – 27; 2 Chronicles chapters 26 – 28; Books of Hosea and Micah; Isaiah chapters 1-39 Supplemental Text: The Fourth Thousand Years chapters 18-19 BYU Lecture 39  Judah on the south and Israel on the north had both become strong, powerful nations, yet they were cankered with corruption, immortality, evil and decadence like the heathen. The prophet Hosea cried repentance in vain but remained hopeful. As Israel began to derail under corrupt government and assassinations, her tributaries began to flee and join with Judah. Israel broke into civil war under tyrannical rule of wicked king Menahem. In Judah, Uzziah rose to power and became a king after the pattern of Solomon. Judah embraced tributaries fleeing from Israel and conquered territories on the south, becoming a powerful, independent nation. Suddenly, from the north of Israel came the menacing forces of Assyria. Israel tried to make alliances with all the western nations to confront Assyria, but Judah, now ruled by the wicked king Ahaz, refused to join. Israel was so angry, an army was sent to Judah to force them to join. Isaiah comes on the scene and counsels king Ahaz not to fight Israel and Syria. But Ahaz did not listen, rather he stripped the temple of gold and valuables, sent them to the king of Assyria and asked for help in defending Judah. Assyria accepted the bribe but did not defend Judah. So Ahaz turned to the pagan gods and offered obscene sacrifices, pleading for help. He even sacrificed his own son on the alter. To Ahaz, this must have seemed to be successful for Israel turned from Judah to face the attacking Assyrians from the north. The prophet Isaiah is introduced and his ministry during this period is reviewed. The Book of Isaiah is difficult to read for several reasons. It is deliberately obscure to prevent too many prophetic details to be revealed which can manipulate our choices. It is also difficult because it is written in poetic form and he skips around history. He is also a brilliant and advanced writer with a large vocabulary. A brief biography and history of Isaiah is given, along with some of his Messianic prophesies we study today. For example, he gives Ahaz a sign that a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel.

Today's chapter 19 of 2nd Kings brings Isaiah onto the scene.  King Hezekiah in his great distress at the conquests of the Assyrians and now their presence outside the walls of Jerusalem sends his secretary and senior priests to the prophet, with a message saying, “It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh,”  adding, “therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left” [v.4]Isaiah's response is very positive; “Say to your Master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumour and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'” [v.6,7]  This happens, but as the Assyrians depart they say, “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. ‘Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?” [v.10,11]  History is full of human boasting like this, but “The word of the LORD” comes to Isaiah over this (v.21-28) that the LORD is “aware of their raging against me”[v.27] Within a generation or two the Assyrians fade into history and Nineveh is a heap of ruins to this day –  the Babylonians then become the main enemy, but in time Babylon too becomes a heap of ruins, as it is today.   Then Isaiah conveys a remarkable long term prophecy. “ … the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this.” [v.30,31]  We witness the resilience of the “surviving remnant” today.  We can read in Isaiah's book, the prophecy the LORD gives him, how “in that day the Lord will extent his hand a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people … and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” [11 v.11,12]   We are witnessing that event and are in awe of the climax when God “shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.” [v.4]   Soon, in Luke's gospel, we will come to Jesus' awesome words predicting this. How awesome the fate of the great Assyrian army, because they reviled God! (185,000 died – v.35) How awesome the fate awaiting at least some who do so today!  Let us do the opposite.  And what is the opposite?.

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Old Testament Book of 2 Kings Summarised in 1 Minute Key Verses 2 Kings 17:22-23 -The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn't depart from them; 17:23 until Yahweh removed Israel out of his sight, as he spoke by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day. 2 Kings 23:27 -Yahweh said, "I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.'" Summary The book of 2 Kings continues the drama of 1 Kings, systematically tracing the reigning monarchs of both Israel and Judah, first by telling one nations history, and the retracing the same period for the other.

Ashurbanipal was the ruler of the Assyrian empire in the 7th century BCE. His 38-year reign was marked by both scholarship and a terrifying brutality. Research: "Babylon." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2025. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FBabylon%2F11618&ebboatid=9265928. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026. Ashurbanipal Library Project. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/index.html " Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631000306/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=f497ef8d. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026. Bonatz, Dominik. “Ashurbanipal's Headhunt: An Anthropological Perspective.” Iraq , 2004, Vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part One (2004). https://www.jstor.org/stable/4200564 “Ashurbanipal.” https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/ashurbanipal Fincke, Jeanette C. “The British Museum's Ashurbanipal Library Project.” Iraq , 2004, Vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part One (2004). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4200559 Hughes, Tristan. “Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria.” The Ancients podcast. 8/20/2025. https://shows.acast.com/the-ancients/episodes/ashurbanipal-the-last-great-king-of-assyria Osborne, James. “He tried to conquer knowledge itself – instead this ancient Mesopotamian king resorted to rule with terror.” History Extra. 8/14/2025. https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/he-tried-to-conquer-knowledge-itself/ Taylor, Jonathan. 'About the project', Ashurbanipal Library Project, The Ashurbanipal Library Project, Department of the Middle East, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, 2022 http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/Abouttheproject/ The British Museum. “Who was Ashurbanipal?” https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/who-was-ashurbanipal Urbanus, Jason. “Royal Bibliophile.” Archaeology. Jul/Aug2024, Vol. 77 Issue 4, p40-41. Wilkes, Jonny. “Ashurbanipal 'the Great', the Lion of Assyria.” History Extra. https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/who-was-ashurbanipal-lion-assyria-facts/ Wiseman, Donald John. "Ashurbanipal". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ashurbanipal. Accessed 17 August 2026 Wisnom, Selena. “The Library of Ashurbanipal.” History Today. 4/4/2025. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/library-ashurbanipal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.&rd... More...

Send us Fan MailSoldiers from Judah were there when an Assyrian army conquered Egypt. But the book of Nahum says that the city was destroyed, when it wasn't. Why? We show how fake news traveled through Assyria, while Egypt proved more resilient than anyone imagined. mosaic: Exploring Jewish Issuesmosaic is Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's news magazine show, exploring...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Title: OT Lesson 33 The Ministry of Elisha, Jonah and Amos Text: 2 Kings chapters 8 – 13; Books of Jonah and Amos Supplemental Text: The Fourth Thousand Years chapters 16-17 BYU Lecture 38:  As we open the 8th chapter of 2 Kings, the author reverts back to a previous time period. Gehazi (the servant of Elisha when Naaman was cleansed of leprosy) was telling King Ben-Hadad II, king of Syria, the many miracles performed by the prophet Elisha. At the time, King Ben-Hadad II was suffering from a disease and sent his servant Hazael to ask Elisha if he will recover. Elisha says the king will not die from the disease but he will die nonetheless, knowing that Hazael will murder the king and take his place as the new king of Syria. Elisha faithfully serves God through six different kings of Israel. He endured 65 years of horrific wickedness, conspiracies, wars, murders, military coups and all manner of evil. Next is the study of the prophet Jonah and his calling to Ninevah. He flees his assignment and is intercepted by a whale. He finishes his mission call, and the Assyrians actually repent, albeit temporarily. Amos comes on the scene prophesying and preaching repentance to all Israel. He prophecies that Israel will be conquered and taken into slavery beyond Damascus. His prophecy was literally fulfilled 3 decades later when Assyria smashed Israel in 721 BC driving the 10 tribes into obscurity and lost.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 29–32; Revelation 11 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this September 5th episode, Hunter guides us through Ezekiel 29–32 and Revelation 11. Ezekiel speaks into a world dominated by powerful empires. Egypt appears strong and permanent, but the prophet reminds us that nations built upon violence, conquest, and human pride eventually pass away. Assyria, Egypt, Tyre, Ethiopia, and the other great powers all seemed invincible in their day. None of them were. Against this backdrop, Ezekiel repeatedly marks time according to the captivity of King Jehoiachin. His very name carries a reminder that God upholds. Even while Jehoiachin remains imprisoned and God's people live in exile, God has not forgotten them. Revelation 11 widens the horizon even further. The kingdoms that appear to rule the world do not possess the future. John hears the declaration that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever. Today's devotion is an invitation for anyone who feels trapped in a season of waiting, loss, or captivity. The circumstances that seem permanent are not permanent. Empires fall. Seasons end. Prison doors open. But the steadfast love of God endures forever. TODAY'S DEVOTION: He is steadfast. Ezekiel is marking time. Again and again, he tells us where he is in the story by measuring the years, months, and days of King Jehoiachin's captivity. Jehoiachin has been taken away to Babylon. The king is in prison. Jerusalem is broken. God's people are scattered. And Ezekiel is counting the days. Maybe you know what that feels like. Sometimes we measure our lives according to our own captivity. It has been six months since the diagnosis. Three years since the relationship ended. Five years since the loss. Ten years since the dream disappeared. We remember when life changed, and without realizing it, we begin measuring everything from that moment. Ezekiel does something like that. But there is something fascinating about the name of this captive king. Jehoiachin means something like, "The Lord will uphold." Imagine that. Every time Ezekiel marks another year of captivity, he speaks the name of a man whose very name bears witness to the steadfastness of God. The Lord will uphold. The circumstances seem to say otherwise. Babylon appears to have won. The great empires seem permanent. Egypt looks powerful. The gods of war appear to rule the world. But Ezekiel looks across history and reminds us that these empires come and go. Assyria comes and goes. Egypt comes and goes. Tyre comes and goes. Babylon itself will come and go. The kingdoms built through violence, fear, conquest, and domination eventually find their way into the grave. But God remains. He is steadfast. He upholds. And Revelation 11 gives us an extraordinary picture of where all of this is heading. John hears loud voices in heaven declaring that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. And he will reign forever. That is the direction of history. Not toward the endless reign of Babylon. Not toward the endless reign of Egypt. Not toward the endless reign of violence, fear, greed, or death. History is moving toward Christ. The kingdoms of this world will give way to the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ. And his kingdom is unlike the kingdoms we build. Jesus does not conquer through violence. He conquers through self-giving love. He does not climb over others to seize a throne. He empties himself. He kneels. He serves. He gives his life. This is our King. And this King is steadfast. Maybe you're going through a hard time today. Maybe you're measuring time according to the days of your captivity. If so, remember Jehoiachin. For more than thirty years he lived as a prisoner in Babylon. Thirty years is a long time to wait. But his story wasn't over. Eventually a new king came to the throne of Babylon. Jehoiachin was released from prison. His prison clothes were removed. He was given new clothes, and a permanent place was prepared for him at the king's table. What a picture of grace. The prisoner is brought out. He is clothed. He is given a seat at the table. That sounds a lot like the gospel to me. God has not forgotten you in your captivity. He is steadfast. He will uphold you. The circumstances you see today are not the whole story. The powers that frighten us are temporary. The grave is not permanent. Death does not get the final word. Christ does. So live today in the light of the steadfast God of your salvation. Trust his heart even when you cannot understand his timing. Remember that he is holding you even when you feel like you are barely holding on. His faithful love endures forever. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Al Mohler recently let the internet know he finds it a bit sus when a woman talks about the Bible on a podcast. Today's guest is one of four women who just launched a podcast where they talk about the Bible. Four. Plural. It's called Bible Divas, and Anna Sieges says she plans to email Al every time an episode drops so he doesn't miss one — and maybe gets an opportunity to be moved by the Spirit, repent, and embrace the gift of half the species thinking, reflecting, teaching, and wrestling with scripture. Anna teaches Hebrew Bible at Gardner-Webb in North Carolina, and her research love is the Book of the Twelve, which most of us learned to call the minor prophets while memorizing them in order for Bible drill. She wants that name retired, and her argument is good: these are not twelve guys yelling on twelve different street corners. It's a long conversation, stitched together over generations by communities arguing with God about empire, land, and whether mercy actually extends to the people you hate. We got into locust plagues as a table of contents, Jonah as the Colbert Report, why Habakkuk asks God to fix the violence and God says sure, I'll send the Babylonians, why you're probably Assyria and not Israel when you read this stuff, and — at the end — what actual repentance would look like for the harm done to LGBTQ people by a single chapter in a widely assigned textbook. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube About our guest Dr. Anna Sieges is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, where she teaches Hebrew Bible. She grew up overseas in Papua New Guinea, where her father provided counseling support for people on the mission field and her mother worked in HR — and where family Bible trivia on Saturday nights was, in her words, cutthroat. Her research centers on the Book of the Twelve, redaction criticism, and the scribal shaping of prophetic literature. She is one of the four ⁠Bible Divas⁠, with Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, Angela Parker, and Cynthia Shafer-Elliott. Two Old Testament scholars, two New Testament scholars. ⁠Go subscribe.⁠ ⁠JOIN OUR OPEN ONLINE CLASS: The Empire Christ Couldn't Keep⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ever notice how Christian nationalism gets talked about like it's some bizarre new glitch in the faith? It isn't — it's a 2,000-year-old arrangement wearing new clothes, and once you see how the pattern works, you can also spot the Christ who keeps slipping free of it. Join theologian Joerg Rieger and Tripp Fuller for The Christ Empire Couldn't Keep, a free six-week online class tracing the holy alliances, imperial creeds, and stubborn resistance that have shaped Christianity from Paul to the present. You'll get six lectures from Joerg, six live Q&As, weekly readings from his book Christ and Empire, and a community of fellow troublemakers thinking it through together. It's free to join, every session is recorded, and it kicks off Thursday, August 27. Grab your spot at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HomebrewedClasses.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 75,000 other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our last episode, the Lord God turned away the messengers of King Sennacherib of Assyria and his armies, sending his angel to strike down 185,000 in their camp. Sometime during those days of the Assyrian threat, Hezekiah became terminally ill. After Isaiah prophesies that his illness will end in death, Hezekiah prays to the Lord and the Lord hears, granting him another 15 years of life. It's not long, however, before Hezekiah gets cocky and shows off his sweet digs to his neighbors, the Babylonians. Of course, we know that won't end well. Isaiah tells Hezekiah that some of his descendants will be taken captive to Babylon, but that matter much to Hezekiah; he's just glad it won't happen during his lifetime. Isaiah 38 - 1:10 . Isaiah 39 - 6:29 . 2 Kings 20 - 8:52 . 2 Chronicles 32:20 - 13:59 . Psalm 148 - 17:24 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

The readings from today's chapters are near perfect parallels, with only minor differentiations between them. After hearing the report about the royal messenger who insulted the Lord God and the people of Judah, Hezekiah immediately expresses a sense of mourning and loss by covering himself in sackcloth and ashes. He sends directly for Isaiah, who reports that the Lord will soon turn them around. After a second threat spoken from the Assyrian spokesman, Hezekiah heads to the temple and prays to God. Isaiah, who apparently is elsewhere, sends a message of hope from the Lord to Hezekiah, promising that Assyria will go back the way they came. Isaiah 37 - 1:07 . 2 Kings 19 - 10:44 . Psalm 147 - 19:27 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Welcome to Day 2939 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2939– “Grave Warnings for the IN Crowd” – Luke 11:29-36 Putnam Church Message – 08/23/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “Grave Warnings for the “IN” Crowd”   Last week, our message was “The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness,” and we learned that Jesus Christ was sent to reclaim the nations and finalize God's kingdom. Today, we continue with our thirty-fifth message from Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today's message is: “Grave Warnings for the “IN” Crowd.” Our core passage today is Luke 11:29-36, starting on page 1615 of your pew Bibles. The Sign of Jonah 29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Lamp of the Body 33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,[b] your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” Opening Prayer   Father, we come before You today asking for more than information. We ask for illumination. Shine the light of Your Word into every corner of our hearts. Lord Jesus, protect us from becoming people who stand close to You outwardly / while resisting You inwardly. / Keep us from demanding more evidence when You have already given us more than enough. Expose our pride, our hidden motives, our fears, and our excuses. Holy Spirit, give us clear eyes, humble hearts, and willing spirits. Help us not merely to admire the Light, but to walk in it. In Jesus' name, amen.       Introduction: Being “In” Does Not Mean Being Right By this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus was no longer an unknown teacher from Galilee. His name was everywhere. John the Baptizer had drawn huge crowds and pointed people toward Him. Jesus had healed the sick, cleansed lepers, cast out demons, fed thousands, commanded storms, raised the dead, forgiven sinners, confronted hypocrisy, and commissioned His followers to carry His message throughout the land. People were talking about Him. / Some loved Him. / Some hated Him. / Some were afraid of Him. / And many were simply watching to see which way things would go. That is human nature, isn't it? / When something becomes popular, people begin asking, “Is this going to succeed?” / When an election approaches, some people wait to see who appears most likely to win. / When a business reorganizes, employees may quietly watch to see which executive is gaining influence. / When a controversy divides a community, some people hesitate to take a position until they know which side will cost them the least. And apparently, many people surrounding Jesus were doing something similar. / They were interested. / They were impressed. / They were curious. / But they were not committed. / They wanted Jesus to prove that following Him would be a safe investment. / Give us another sign. / Give us one more miracle. / Give us enough assurance that we can join Your side without risking too much.  / But Jesus refused to play that game. Last week, in “The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness,” we saw Jesus draw a sharp line. There is no neutral ground. The Stronger Man has entered the strong man's territory. The Kingdom of God has come near, and everyone must decide where their allegiance lies. Now Jesus takes that truth one step further. / He turns from the obvious darkness around them to the hidden darkness within them. / And that is where this message becomes uncomfortable. Because Jesus' strongest warning is not directed toward people who know nothing about God. / It is directed toward the people standing closest to the revelation. / The “IN” crowd. / The religiously informed. / The culturally familiar. / The people who have seen much, heard much, and know much. And Jesus says, in effect: The greater the light you receive, / the more responsible you are for what you do with it. Let's look at four truths that will help us to understand this passage, which are on your bulletin insert. Main Point 1: Demanding More Proof Can Become an Excuse for Not Believing Luke tells us that as the crowd pressed in around Jesus, He said: “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.” That sounds almost shocking. / Hadn't Jesus already given signs? / How many signs did they need? He had healed the blind. / He had cleansed lepers. / He had restored crippled bodies. / He had raised the dead. / He had fed thousands. / He had cast out demons. Immediately before this passage, He had delivered a man who could not speak because of demonic oppression. / And some still said, “Show us a sign.” At some point, the problem is no longer a lack of evidence. / The problem is unwillingness to respond to the evidence already given. The Sign of Jonah Jesus says Jonah will be the sign. / Jonah carried two powerful meanings. First, Jonah was a prophet sent by God with a message. / He went to Nineveh and said, essentially, “Judgment is coming. Repent.” / There were no fireworks. / No extended miracle campaign. /No entertainment. Just the Word of God. / And Nineveh responded. Second, as Matthew 12 makes clearer, Jonah's experience in the great fish also points forward to Jesus' death and resurrection. Jonah disappeared into the depths and emerged alive. / Jesus would descend into death and emerge victorious on the third day. The ultimate sign would not be another temporary miracle. / It would be the empty tomb.   Ancient Context: Nineveh Nineveh was not a pleasant little Gentile village. / It was associated with Assyria, one of the most brutal imperial powers of the ancient world. / Assyrian warfare was infamous for cruelty. They terrorized conquered...

Over the next few days we'll be reading regularly from three books, 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings, and Isaiah, as we continue pursuing a fairly linear chronological reading of the Old Testament. At the point in the history of God's people, Hezekiah is on the throne in Jerusalem and Isaiah is simultaneously prophesying in Judah. The kings of Assyria are knocking on the front door, taunting those in power. This not only includes the king and his officials, but God himself, whom they mock and equate to the gods of other nations. Today, you'll hear the account of Sennacherib's royal spokesman who seeks to insult, discourage and dishearten the men of Judah before their impending military confrontation. 2 Chronicles 32:1-19 - 1:09 . 2 Kings 18 - 5:29 . Isaiah 36 - 14:50 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Send us Fan MailWhen Esarhaddon, the king of Assyria's father was murdered by his brothers, he became a highly paranoid individual and had everyone swear loyalty and risk terrible cruses if they disobeyed. His demand for total loyalty and worship put Manasseh, king of Judah, in a bind. What happened next shaped Judah for a generation and also inspired the writing of the Book of Deuteronomy. mosaic: Exploring Jewish Issuesmosaic is Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's news magazine show, exploring...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Today's Scripture passages are Psalm 55 | Isaiah 10:5 - 12 | 1 Peter 5.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPWORD40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeTo reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Escaping the Beast's Trap (1) (audio) David Eells - 8/30/26 B. A. - 03/14/2012 (David's notes in red) (The foundation for this dream is that the D.S. is poisoning the food and water supply.) I dreamed I was walking down my lane, as the morning was dawning, to go up to the main road to the mailbox and get the newspaper. Just as I got to the road, I saw one of my neighbors getting into his truck. He drove up to me and said, “You'd better get to Walmart quickly; they are giving away free food, water, medicine, and gas”. (Trusting in the arm of the flesh. Psa.146:3 Put not your trust in princes, Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. Pro.3:5 Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding. Heb.12:16 lest there be any fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. I said, “My husband is asleep, so I will have to wait until he wakes up”. My neighbor said, “Well, I wouldn't wait too long or you might miss out”. Then he left. I went on over to the mailbox and got the newspaper. I got halfway back down the lane when I heard a voice say to me, “It's a trap; it's a trap. Don't go”. Jer.17:5 Thus saith Jehovah: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from Jehovah. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, and whose trust Jehovah is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. I asked, “What's a trap?” The next thing I knew, I was standing in a Walmart parking lot. The lot was packed like it always is, so I asked what was wrong. I heard that same voice say, “Look at the people”. So I looked at the people. They were coming out of the store with grocery carts full of items and getting into their cars and leaving. I asked again, “What's wrong?” The voice said, “Look closer at the people”. So I zeroed in on the people, and all of a sudden I noticed they were all wearing dog tags. (Symbolizing trading needed free stuff for freedom.) Then I found myself inside the store. There was a long line on the left side of the store against the wall. They had it set up like at the airport with the roped lines, so the flow of people would be orderly. The store was full of products and people were shopping, so everything looked normal to the people in line. However, I noticed that the people shopping were wearing dog tags like the people in the parking lot. My oldest brother had been in the military years ago, so I knew what these dog tags were. I said to myself, “These are soldiers dressed up as civilians”. (Government giveaways are designed by the beast system to trap you into trusting in them until you are addicted in your mind. The flesh pots of Egypt were a government giveaway to the slaves to control them. The people who own the megastores are owned by the same people who own the government and military. Bondage to them is the spiritual mark of the beast. Pharaoh will rule the slaves.)  All of a sudden, I was standing at the back of the store. The store manager was standing in front of a set of doors marked Personnel Only. I noticed he was wearing dog tags as well. (Government and big business are one in socialism.) He was telling the people that only four people at a time could go with him to be processed to get their vouchers for the free stuff. He had them line up two on the left and two on the right behind him. As they went through the first set of doors, there was a breezeway area, then another set of metal doors. He told them that when they went through the next set of doors, two women would be sitting at a desk, and they should go up to the desk and wait. As soon as these people got up to the desk and the second set of doors closed, four very large men (they looked like sumo wrestlers) came up behind these people, put their hands over their mouths and gave them some kind of a shot. (The giants of their own flesh will bring into bondage those who do not believe the promises but trust in men. Flee into the wilderness where God provides out of heaven through faith and the old man is dead at the Red Sea. Php.4:19 And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.) Then these soldiers took their driver's license and car keys from them. (I believe the driver's license represents taking away their identity or place in Christ, and the car keys represent taking away their freedom; they NOW belong to the beast -- lock, stock and barrel!) (At first they will want your Social Security number and income to receive food; now it will be the Digital ID; then the Mark will make it easy for you. This gradualism is the way to harden one's conscience. Remember when they mandated the vaccinations, and you could not travel, go back into work, shop in stores, dine out, etc., unless you were vaccinated and everyone was forced to wear a face mask? This was a type of their ways to institute the Mark.) The two women sitting at the desk stamped these people on their right hands. (Representing the beastly works of flesh.) (Rev.13:16) And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead. I got closer so I could see what the stamp read; it read, Bus #1, Section A. Then these people were led out the back door onto a waiting bus. These people couldn't put up a fight, as the shot they were given made them like zombies and they could barely walk. (They stumbled out of the way, put to sleep by demons using the lusts of the flesh.) These people's, or victims', driver's licenses were placed in a box that read, Bus #1, Section A, as well. I'm sure this was so they could keep track of who they were and where they were taking them. Their car keys were given to some soldiers standing close by. (They are no longer individuals using cars but members of the collective riding buses; they are one in the beast body.) I decided to follow these soldiers with the keys to see what they were going to do. They found these people's cars and drove them off the parking lot. I then went back to the bus to see what was happening there. I noticed they started taking people to the back of the bus and working their way forward. When they would get two people in a seat, there was a large harness that came over these people's shoulders. Then the soldiers reached down and grabbed another harness that went through their legs, and it all joined together at their waist and locked. There was no way these people could get up. (They will be spiritually brought into bondage and few will escape. They will either deny the Lordship of Jesus over them and serve the collective or confess Jesus before men and lose their beastly life for their heavenly life.) Then, again, the next thing I knew, I was standing in a large field off a dirt road. This field was full of empty car carriers. I watched as the soldiers drove the people's cars onto the field and up onto the car carriers. When the car carriers were full, they drove away. I lost count of how many there were, as there were so many. I just stood there trying to digest everything I had just witnessed. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I was back home on my lane. (Many will lose their individuality and freedom as the economy crumbles through mismanagement, war, natural catastrophes, and plots of the DS globalists. The so-called “Golden Age” does not fit with the Rev.13 mark of the beast.) I stood there thinking how clever that whole process was; they didn't have to go to the people. They devised such a clever way to have the people come to them without putting up a fight, like lambs to the slaughter. (It is natural for those who have no faith to gravitate to the beast for salvation in all forms, for they worship him.) Also, I thought to myself, they have been planning this for a long time. Walmart would be a very logical staging area, as they provide food, clothing, supplies, water, medicine and gas. They are always advertising it as a one-stop shop; now we know why! I took another look at Walmart. For some reason, I looked at it in reverse from the dash out, and it reads “Mart law”, or martial law! Then I woke up. (They will be the number one store under martial law. Mom-and-Pop stores will continue to die. Cheap Chinese labor and materials will win. An executive order was signed on March 16, 2012, giving the Executive Branch the power to control and allocate all energy, production, transportation, food and even water resources by decree. They have control over all food, farms, livestock, farm equipment, fertilizer and food production across America.) A secret behind Walmart's rapid expansion in the United States has been its extensive use of public money. This includes more than $1.2 billion in tax breaks, free land, infrastructure assistance, low-cost financing and outright grants from state and local governments around the country.   “It's a Trap” Henry Jansen - 03/29/2012 (David's notes in red) I recently had a few interesting experiences, one of which involved David in a dream. Because of the common theme of “a trap or being trapped”, I thought I would share it. Here is some background:  My work requires me to travel to our company's project sites once or twice a month. The trips can be a few hours long, so I normally listen to UBM teachings. One of the ladies who works for me (a Christian lady I will call “S”) sometimes travels with me to the site when she is required to discuss some things with the site staff to complete her work. As we are both Christians, I play UBM teachings during our trips, and “S” has listened to these with interest. Until recently, “S” was a smoker (with a bad cough and high blood pressure) and no amount of prodding from other staff to quit could convince her to do so. She has a twin sister who is also a Christian and her exhortations to “S” to quit smoking also bore no fruit. “S” tried to quit a few times in the two years that I have known her but always fell back into the habit again. I noticed this going on but didn't feel led to say or do anything about her smoking habit. About a month ago, I was planning to visit a site again, and “S” was going to travel with me. The night before the travel date, the Lord put it upon my heart to dig up an old UBM teaching from March 2008 on smoking and play it during our trip to the site, which is what I did. The Spirit brought a strong conviction upon her during the teaching, and about halfway through it, she took her cigarettes and lighter out of her handbag and handed them to me. She said she never knew the things about smoking that you taught and realized that she was in bondage to demons. She suddenly had a strong urge to be free from this bondage. We stopped at a town halfway to the site. I gave her the cigarettes and lighter, and she threw them both into a trash can. That was the last time she touched the stuff. When we returned to the office later that day, the Lord put it upon my heart to pray with her, commanding the spirits of bondage to leave her and not return. We also asked the Lord to deliver her from any withdrawals, and she didn't have any. The next day, she came to work with a bright, sunny face, saying she felt as if a weight had lifted from her. Through your teaching, the Lord has made her free from the bondage of smoking forever. Since then, she also started to listen to UBM Bible study teachings regularly. The Lord has also led her through various events recently to remind her of her deliverance and she is now ministering to bring others out of this bondage. One event she had was driving to a site in a car that was owned by a heavy smoker. Driving in the smoke-smelling car made her violently ill, and she had to stop to be sick along the way. The Lord has a sense of irony, doesn't He? Now for the next bit: About a week ago, “S” asked if we could have a meeting. She told me that she was awakened at around 3:00 am by a voice saying the words, “It's a Trap. It's a Trap”, repeated a few times. Because of the urgency of the voice and her anxiousness over it, she couldn't sleep and got up and listened to the latest UBM Bible study, which happened to include an interpretation of a dream received about being Trapped by the Beast. (The above revelation was an amazing confirmation that the same words were used in this dream as in “S”'s revelation: “It's a trap. It's a trap. Don't go”.) I thanked her for telling me and left it at that, thinking that I would listen to the UBM teaching she mentioned to hear what it was about. I have not listened to this teaching yet. Then, a few days ago, I had this dream: I was working for David Eells. David asked me to go to a meeting that he was scheduled to go to in town. He could no longer attend, as he had other commitments. (It appears as though I will not fall into a government sting operation.) I knew that the meeting was with government officials and that the meeting was about the government wanting to sell weapons to David. The meeting time was set for 8:30 am. (Praise the Lord that I don't want any of the world's weapons.) On the day of the meeting, I was at an office in a town, and I got there on my bicycle. While attending to my activities in town, I forgot about the meeting I was meant to attend on David's behalf that day. When my activities in town were completed, I got on my bicycle to ride back to the center of town. While riding on my bike, I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to attend that meeting for David. I looked anxiously at my watch and noticed that it was 8:10 am, so, fortunately, it was not too late yet. I then suddenly remembered (the following events actually happened ...) a meeting I had with one of my work colleagues, during which she told me that a voice woke her early one morning (about 3:00 am), saying the words, “It's a trap. It's a trap”, repeated a few times. Because of the urgency of the voice, she couldn't go back to sleep and instead decided to listen to the latest UBM Bible study teaching. It just happened to be the teaching Trapped by the Beast. She was so startled by the whole experience that she told me about it the next morning at work. As of the writing of this dream, I have not yet listened to that Bible study. In the dream, I remembered the meeting with my colleague and what she had said, and then it suddenly dawned on me that the meeting with the government was a “trap”. The government was trying to set a trap for David and this meeting was part of that trap. I suspected that the government was planning to set up a meeting with real arms dealers and then planned to arrest everyone who attended the meeting. (I have no need or desire for physical arms. It appears that the government will seek to try to trap church leaders into giving them proof that they were guilty of taking up arms against the government in order to imprison them.) No amount of explaining that the meeting was to be with government officials will matter. I then realized I had to let David know as soon as possible and cycled to what I thought was the center of town. I looked for a place to park my bicycle and noticed two separate sets of stairs (made from concrete or masonry) leading down from the level I was standing on to some other level of town far below me. I tried to take my bike down the first set of stairs but quickly realized it was very steep, with narrow steps and dangerous; if you stumbled, you could be severely hurt. I then took the second set, which had a gentler slope, to the bottom. When I got to the bottom, I tried to park my bicycle, but all the bicycle parking spots were full, and I couldn't leave my bike safely anywhere. No matter where I looked, I couldn't find a parking spot for my bicycle. They were all taken. This made me very frustrated. (A sign of there being many people in the underground Church.) I then cycled to David's place. When I got to where I thought David lived, I didn't see a house but noticed a shed, which I understood was a workshop. I also “knew” that David drove a car and his parking garage was underground. I remembered seeing the garage door open at some previous time. I knew the garage door hinged up out of the ground when it opened, and one had to drive into a hole in the ground to park the car. I couldn't see the garage door when I arrived and realized it must be closed because when the garage door was closed I couldn't see the garage at all, as it was covered with vegetation and level with the ground (camouflaged). I pushed my bike into the workshop to look for David and to find a place to park my bike. I noticed an old bike rack inside the workshop with some kids' bikes and an adult bike (similar to mine) taking up all the slots in the old bike rack. The bikes were covered with dust and looked like they hadn't been used for a long time. (Could it be that my spiritual children have outgrown their “kids' bikes”?) I couldn't find any room to park my bike. I saw a man whom I knew as “Newman” (“new man” in Christ) and asked him if he had seen David. He said he had seen him twice that day.    Tribulation, Government, the Mark & Evangelism Sultana - 09/17/2007 (David's notes in red)  The year before 9/11, I dreamed of four explosions. I told my husband that the World Trade Center was blown up and I saw an explosion on the ground, then I saw the Pentagon explode. (fulfilled) In 1998, God sat Kevin down and said, “The government will be altered in a way that it is not overthrown, but our freedoms will change. All the people who hated God's people will now have the ability to persecute them and even kill them like they could not in the past. (Update: Kevin did hate and kill God's people and died for it.) This was very similar to martial law; military police will evolve on a global scale. People will have to choose whether they will cooperate with this government or suffer without its benefit (the mark). Many professing Christians will give their allegiance to the new system of government in order to keep their freedoms and benefits in this world. In spite of the persecution of the body of Christ, personal evangelism and missions will thrive during this time. Finances will flow for missionaries and relief of suffering churches like never before (which does not make sense to me). (Father has already planned for this time and we will have every need met.) However, the compromising believers will receive a demonic guilt because they denied the Lord and their brothers in order to keep their comforts. They will not be able to repent of what they have done, nor will they escape the torment they will feel for denying Christ (reprobation from the mark). The pressure will be so great that you will not be able to prepare for it then. Now is the time to sell out for Christ and give your very all to Him. Preparing now is the grace to be ready for that time”.   Escape from Walmart Cassandra – 8/17/2021 Dear brothers and sisters in Yahushua, I had a brief dream last night of escaping a Walmart. Others have mentioned that many of the Walmart stores have been [or will be] converted to FEMA camps, and I remember reading about that, Jade Helm, and even railroad tracks leading out of the Walmarts. Also, people being sprayed with something when entering, and the hand scanners for MOTB payment. Walmart/Martial Law. (That's what B.A saw too.) My dream was brief; my daughter and I were in a Walmart (which, in real life, I would never do; I stopped going to those places years ago; stay out of the Walmarts!) and as we went to leave, I noticed HEAVY MILITARY-TYPE SECURITY near the entrance and the checkout areas. It looked sort of like the riot police, except it was even more advanced. Black colored armor; maybe some were even robots or hybrids. Scary-looking, and there were 5-7 around each checkout area. Somehow we drove out the front door in a car, bypassing the checkout areas to escape. I took some different route as we left, in case I was being followed or tracked. Now that I think about it, I have had another dream of escaping a Walmart, but this one, I was just in the parking lot area and knew not to go in, but that I needed to escape the area. End of dream.  Note: I had a strong feeling others were unable to get out or escape from Walmart.  It could be that the military/security presence was there due to inflation and scarcity of items. I am not sure. It felt more ominous than that, but I have also read that as grocery prices inflate and food becomes more scarce, food trucks and grocery stores will need extra security. See related article:   FEMA Rounding Up “Radical Christians” into Closed Walmarts 8/4/2017, Jennifer Schultz (link) Had another dream last night. It dealt with FEMA, Walmart, and Trump and Obama. It started out with FEMA buses coming into every town, rounding up the “radical Christians,” as the director told an agent who was rounding up the people. They were taken to Walmart. More stores started closing due to false “plumbing issues,” like the ones down south did.  The UN and FEMA were working together. Pastors were ratting out people in their church who didn't vaccinate, who believed in the 2nd Amendment, and who were truly on fire for God. Then I saw Obama talking to “ISIS.” He threw down a picture of Trump and told the sniper/shooter, “I want him to be next.” There was a bullseye in the middle of his forehead. Before I woke up, I saw dark clouds coming across America along with bugs that were huge, and they had on armor with razor-sharp teeth. (The shots were found to cause cancer from bugs in the bloodstream.) When I woke up, I asked God if it was from Him. The verse about ‘what is hidden in darkness will come to light' came into my head. Luke 8:17 KJV For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.   Almost Trapped In a 15-Minute City  Cassandra -12/12/2013 The time this was received, 1:30 a.m., 130 in Strong's Greek, is shedding of blood. I had a dream I was riding a bicycle on a freeway leading into Minneapolis. Normally there are no bicycles on a freeway. All of a sudden, the road was closed. Those of us on bikes (I think bicycles may represent homelessness, or poor people) (or lack of gas or EMP) had to get off of them and leave them and go into a certain area while the road was being fixed, or so I thought at first.  I tried calling my friends to drive and come and get me, but then realized they would be stuck there too.  The area behind the construction reminded me of a bad area in Minneapolis. I soon realized that all of the apartment buildings looked vacant.  Those of us who had been taken off the road were moved into a building. Others and I were forced off the freeway. There seemed to be a “nice woman” there showing us buckets of supplies. The buckets were from Trader Joe's, a local grocery chain, and I have seen these buildings going up with Trader Joe's and also a Lunds on the ground floor of these apartments. The buckets had a roll of toilet paper in them and not much else. I think at that point, it dawned on me that this was a 15-Minute City and they were trapping us. I lied in my dream, which I try not to do (forgive me, Father, for this), and told the “nice lady” my ride was there. She let me leave. I saw a few others escaping and quickly followed them. I saw our bikes and grabbed one, but the front wheel had been bent (intentionally, so we couldn't escape?). I grabbed another bike, and it worked. End of dream. These 15-Minute Cities are real, folks. I have seen several of these apartment buildings in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. They are easy to spot because they have grocery stores underneath. You do not want to move to or get trapped in these places. This ties in with a dream someone else had where, when you see the cities getting ready to be bombed, you have about half an hour to flee and get out. Those that get stuck there will be rounded up and moved somewhere. Those stuck in these cities will be forced to be a part of the beast system, or likely be sent to a FEMA camp for martyrdom.  I just had an awful flashback; a real memory. Several years ago, I saw a huge truck carrying what looked like human-sized portable incinerators. I am also reminded of a recent story in the news of all the homeless in San Francisco disappearing the night before world leaders were coming in for a meeting. 11/11/23.  This is coming to the US. Look at what they have allowed in Israel. B.N. is a war criminal. They know the areas of land they want and what their plans are. They will remove anyone standing in their way and have no regard for human life. These plans have been in place for a long time. Everything is in place. The good news is that Jesus is with us. He is with the poor. He will be with us in captivity and even in martyrdom. Are you ready if this is your fate? Are you ready to flee your home? There will be Goshen's or safe havens for some. Are you ready spiritually for all that is coming? Betrayal from your nearest and dearest? There have been so many messages warning to brace yourself and be ready. Pray for help on this; I do as well. Pre-trib rapture is a lie; repent if you have allowed yourself to be deceived by false prophets, teachers, and preachers. Wake up to the truth.  Please heed the warnings given on this site, brethren…. Cassandra. So, how do we prepare to escape these traps and captivity?   Escaping the Tribulation Mark Sandy Shaw - 11/08/2011 (David's notes in red) When I had this dream on November 8, 2011, I knew that we were already in the middle part of tribulation. They were already making it mandatory that everyone get the mark. We were still where we live now, but we were getting ready to move up on “the hill”. Michael (Meaning “who is like God”) had come through the side or sunroom door and I saw him. Then he said, “The last one is gone”. I'm not exactly sure what that meant, but at the time I felt that there was no one left at the school. (The first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation are for training, just as it was in Jesus' ministry before Acts. Then the disciples or Two Witnesses went forth two-by-two into every place Jesus was about to come.) I knew that we were preparing to go to “the hill” (representing escaping the mark in Zion).  Then the Lord took me from this house to a room. In the room, there were a bunch of men in suits (stuffed shirts is what I used to call them) and you could tell that they had much money and were up to no good. They couldn't see me, though. (Invisibility, or the secret place of the Most High, will protect many from the Beast's plots.) They were talking about the barcodes that are on everything we buy. While listening to them talk about the barcodes, the mark that people took was linking them up to all kinds of things electronically, including the barcodes. They showed an instrument that couldn't have been more than 4” wide and 7” long. This machine had buttons to push and a little screen. They could tell, by pointing this machine at a house, who bought what and who lived there because of the codes and marks they had accepted. They also knew who did not buy items in your house; these items were either given or traded. This was how they found out who didn't have the mark. When they pointed this machine at a house and saw a bunch of store-bought stuff there, and no one in the house had accepted the mark, then the soldiers would go in there and take the people to the FEMA camps. The FEMA camps were changed from an earlier use to now house these prisoners who refuse the mark. It reminded me of the Nazi concentration camps of Hitler, where the Jews were sent to be slaughtered. After hearing these men talk about all this, I was at “the Hill”. I knew that we were already living at “the Hill”. There were many from the local UBM at “the Hill” and some other faces I hadn't seen yet. While we were up there, I was very upset. I kept hearing a man, as if he was standing next to me, crying out to God for help. I was standing in a room with David Eells, Michael Hare, another brother, and my husband. I was crying and telling them that I kept hearing this man crying out to God, and we needed to go back down and get him. I told them that I knew where the house was. I was pleading with them to go back down because it was dangerous times to do that. David, Michael, and I got into a small car that I had not seen before. We then drove to the house. The house and neighborhood around it were empty. Michael asked, “Are you sure this is the house? Because all of these look empty.” (The underground railroad will once again be in use to rescue others from the mark and beast. “Righteousness delivereth from death.”) I said, “No, this is the house. As we go in there will be a stairway. Behind this stairway is another hidden door leading down to another stairway. They are in the basement. I had only heard a man crying out, but I had a feeling that his family would be with him.” But there were even more people than I thought in the dream. It was him (the only male), his wife, and children. Then, there were two more women and their children (whose husbands had been killed). So, we all packed into this small car. Almost all the children were in the trunk, and we were all sitting in laps on top of laps. This was so we could all fit into the small car. I was driving the car. As we pulled out, we looked, and the soldiers were entering the house. But we kept going.  When we had driven just a few miles, soldiers pulled us over. I told everyone in the car to be quiet and not to say a word, to let me do all the talking. No matter how long it took, to be quiet. I had some kind of papers, and I was showing them to the soldiers. The soldiers knew they needed to accept those papers, but they didn't want to. (So they all escaped to the Hill.)     Who Will Escape to the Hill? Psa.15:1 Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill (Zion)? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart; 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor; 4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not; 5 He that putteth not out his money to interest, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Psa.24:1 The earth is Jehovah's, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto falsehood, And hath not sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, [even] Jacob.  Psa.125:1 They that trust in Jehovah Are as mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abideth for ever. 2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, So Jehovah is round about his people From this time forth and for evermore. 3 For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; That the righteous put not forth their hands unto iniquity. 4 Do good, O Jehovah, unto those that are good, And to them that are upright in their hearts. 5 But as for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, Jehovah will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity (the mark). Peace be upon Israel. Isa.43:1 But now thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead. 4 Since thou hast been precious in my sight, [and] honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life. (Those who will take the mark.) 5 Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth (to the Holy Hill); 7 every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.   America in Darkness after Judgment David Eells – 8/26/26 In the morning when I was in the midst of waking up, I had a dream that turned into a vision. I believe it was about Christianity in the U.S. I was standing on a line between two visions of the near future. Part 1 was to my right and Part 2 was to my left and a result of Part 1. Part 1 was a large room representing the U.S. Many chandelier lights were hanging from the ceiling and were very bright. (I believe this may be the EBS revelation of all the criminality that has been done in darkness being revealed to the people. Also the Man-child reformers will be anointed to share truth, which will anger criminals of church and state.) While still standing on the line, I looked to the left or Part 2. It was the room, but the lights were gone including the fixtures. Then when I looked straight ahead down the line and just past the two rooms, I saw a tornado. (This is what I believe caused the darkness and represented judgments, probably the ones we have been discussing as coming soon: earthquakes and volcanic activity through the Ring of Fire. These judgments will destroy and plunder the new economy that the right wing is now creating. Of course, the left would blame the right for this and harden and change many minds. A tornado also represents wind turning around abruptly to go in the opposite direction. Winds of doctrine or teaching represent a change of mind, probably of the people in the U.S. For those who will be righteous, this will be a good change of mind, but for those who will be wicked, it will be a bad change of mind. There is a polarization happening in the U.S. and the world between left and right.)  When I saw the tornado, I ducked behind the wall of the second time period and felt safe. Please remember that the people who considered themselves the people of God sided with the Roman Beast to persecute and kill the disciples of Jesus. Ecc.1:9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Mat.24:9 Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.  Now let me share the following revelation:   From: “REVIVAL List” Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 Subject: [revival] THE END of EMPIRE AMERICA - Robert Holmes NOTE from Mario Liu: On 16 October 2008, I was in a prayer meeting with Robert Holmes and Kurt Pfanstiel, who was visiting us from the USA. Robert shared with us a vision he had recently received. Robert had a vision of Alexander the Great standing victorious in the middle of the USA. We discussed Robert's vision in some details. Alexander the Great in the vision was a foreign looking man. He was surrounded by many US citizens, who seemed to welcome Alexander as their leader. I asked Robert whether there were any signs of violence and Robert said, no. I remembered God has given similar visions before about Alexander the Great conquering USA and we did not understand God's meaning then. Now that God repeated this vision, I felt that there is significance in this and asked God for more revelations, such as which country is conquering USA, who is Alexander, etc. But God did not give us any clear revelations apart from saying that “Alexander took Babylon without bloodshed.” After the US election, Robert recognized that the Alexander he saw was Obama. Then God revealed more information. These revelations are enclosed below... We need to pray.   THE END of EMPIRE AMERICA by: Robert I Holmes (David's notes in red) This article will cover a range of issues which have been brewing for six to twelve months in my heart. History will judge America as an empire. That empire is coming to an end. The election of Barak Obama is a significant prophetic event, marking the sunset of that empire, and the rising of other powers in the earth who represent ancient powers and civilizations. (But few know that B.O. still sits at the top of his leftist empire pulling the strings. He recently proudly admitted to being Biden's head.) These ideas have consequences for believers living both in the US and the countries that rely on her (like Australia). … Barack Obama became President of DS ruled Babylonian America. Although he severely weakened America, he did not conquer her during his presidency. Hillary was to be Obama II and would have finished the job … but God used a modern-day Cyrus of the Media-Persian Empire to conquer Babylon America. Clearly, this is President Trump, who, as a Cyrus also discovered the “hidden treasures of Darkness” (in underground tunnels of darkness), spoken of in Isaiah 45. Using this and other reforms as a lure, President Trump has come to lead a mighty Alliance of Nations. Where he also set the people of God free from Babylon to rebuild the Kingdom of God and also bankrolled it with Babylon's stolen loot. No one else has followed in the steps of Cyrus but President Donald Trump. Keep in mind there are not two kingdoms involved here but three. Original Babylon ruled by the DS Obama, then Babylon under Cyrus/Trump, and then comes this Babylon conquered by Alexander the Great, whom Robert saw as Obama in his vision. It was reported by the military that Barack Obama was arrested for his crimes and taken to Gitmo. There he was given a monitoring boot and told to play his part under their direction, but he rebelled and they took him back to Gitmo and shot him. However, it was after this that the military began to discover clone-growing labs that were manufacturing copies of the important DS criminals like Obama. LATER they learned how to tell the difference between a clone and the original. I believe it is likely that the DS had their clone of Obama available when they took clone Obama back in and shot him. Obama is known to still be out there and calling the shots for the DS. Remember, Alexander did not come until AFTER the Media-Persians under Cyrus/Trump conquered Babylon. It was DS Obama Babylon, then Trump Media-Persia, then Alexander of the Grecian Empire. Obama is still in the third Empire as an Alexander to conquer Trump. Remember history must repeat. Ecc.1:9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us. We know the prophecies were manifest through history naturally as these three Kingdoms, but somehow these beast kingdoms must be repeated and we are watching it. Another thing that should not be forgotten: Obama was a figurehead for the DS and their 4th generation AI computer. Trump's steps came from a 5th generation AI computer that was programmed by the people pushing him. I take nothing from him; he is a genius. Alexander had political power back home holding down the fort. Revelation's seven-year Tribulation beasts, both the Dragon and then the Beast, had seven heads, not one. Nowhere in the bible does it describe one “antichrist beast.” See absolute Biblical proof in our book, Hidden Manna For The End Times. Jesus said there would be many antichrists. Only in parables of dreams, visions or types is a man described and sometimes a very big man, which identifies a corporate body head. Also, according to history repeating, Alexander is still coming to conquer the Medo-Persian/Cyrus/Trump/Empire. Back to Robert I Holmes: -   Alexander Cometh! In 1999, as I prepared to travel to the US on ministry, the Lord gave me a very unusual prophetic word. He said that “In the days of Babylon, when her walls stood wide and her leaders stood tall, her defenses were strong and her campaigns victorious, (Babylon under the Trump Alliance of nations) Alexander the Great (Obama) came and defeated her. In the same way, my Alexander will stand in the very midst of the United States of America”. The phrase “in the same way” indicates that America's walls are wide, her leaders stand tall, her defenses are strong, her campaigns until now have been victorious. (This best describes Cyrus/Trumps Alliance campaigns) But a man like Alexander - someone God refers to as “my Alexander” will stand in her midst, victorious and defeat her. Alexander the Great, a Mediterranean Greek, defeated Darius the Mede in 331BC at the Battle of Gaugamela (Darius ruled Babylon due to Cyrus' victory), and the gates of Babylon swung open to him (Alexander/Obama) (when he was just 25 years old). He stood in the midst of the courtyard declaring himself king. He then spent considerable time and effort trying to restore Babylon to its former glory. (Which neither Alexander nor Obama are capable of, for God decreed its fall.) As I prayed in preparation for going to the US two weeks ago on ministry again, I had a vision of a map of America from high above. There, almost in the centre of it was a marketplace. I zoomed down toward the marketplace and saw a man standing there. I recognized by the Spirit that it was Alexander the Great, standing in a dusty, sandstone area, sword lifted high, victorious. I believe that God's “Alexander” is Barak Obama. (If so, and I don't doubt it, he would come after the Trump Alliance to conquer it. Trump has prepared everything for the beast. The one world order, the world economic system, complete control and knowledge of everyone's business through satellite and Artificial Intelligence. Cyrus/Trump will be good to give time for the reformers to mature the saints for when the beast makes war on them in the second half of the tribulation.) He has now stood in the middle of America and declared his victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago. There, he prophetically declared, “Change has come to America,” (6). Yes indeed, it has. Barak, apart from having the appearance of a Middle Eastern or African man, is also very young and inexperienced. Barak Obama has not even had a full year in his Senate position. I do not question the right of a 47-year-old to rule a nation, but his inexperience is not reduced by his amazing oratory skill. “Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout [in all] the earth,” (Psalm 45:16 NIV). He represents the end of empire America as we know it, and the opening of a new regime, one which, like Alexander, represents a conflagration of old powers (But Alexander/Obama? conquers Cyrus/Trump's America. The Alexander Grecian Empire came after the Cyrus/Trump Media-Persian Empire): European, Middle Eastern and Asian. He will try to restore America's glory, but in doing so relegate her to second position on the global scene. (Obama's job was to conquer America but failed to finish the job. He is still working as Alexander to conquer Trump's America.) The prophet Daniel, who wrote his book from 605 to 530 B.C., predicted Alexander would head a world power around 200 years before it happened (see Daniel 2, 7, 8 and 11). In Daniel 2, his empire is described as a belly and thighs of bronze (brass) in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:31-32, 39). In Daniel 7, it is described as looking like …The leopard with wings.   The Four Generals Will Conquer Alexander/Obama Eve Brast - 1/29/10 (David's notes in red) (I asked God to confirm my role in this dream as a watchman on the tower. Twice, I opened my Bible and put my finger down. The first was Eze.3:21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul. And Isa.21:6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman: let him declare what he seeth.) (Eve represents those watchmen who are watching for the enemy attacks on the tower of Zion.) I dreamed I was a watchman standing on the roof of a tower made of logs crossed at the corners like a log cabin. The tower was coming up out of the Gulf waters off the northwest coast of Florida (where UBM began). (When I had this dream, I didn't connect it with UBM, but when I was told to send it to David, I realized that he had a dream or vision from the Lord that UBM was represented by a log tower like this [in the same area but on land].) (The tower is Zion or Jerusalem, “the tower of the flock”. Mic.4:8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Micah 4 is indicative of how God will use the Bride/tower in the “latter days”. Also typed as the Bride in Rev.21:9-10 And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were laden with the seven last plagues; and he spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.) This tower also simultaneously existed in the Mediterranean waters farther east off the shores of Israel. (Israel is a type of the Church. An elect Bride will be taken out of the Israel/Church. Esther was the Bride taken out of Israel as a type of the Church.) I was dressed in an Old Testament Israeli soldier's outfit and standing at the northeast corner of the tower. (The Israeli soldiers' outfit represents the true New Testament church, circumcised in heart, in its Ephesians 6 armor.) It was dark and the wind was gusting. I could feel rain or sea spray on my face, forearms and lower legs. I was keeping the night watch facing northeast. Suddenly, out of the darkness, Alexander the Great came down and stood to my left. (Obama rules from the northeast of the tower and has been likened to Alexander the Great in other dreams and revelations, indicating his ambition and ability to conquer and take what God is giving into his hands for chastening.) He said, “I want to show you something”. He then swung over the north side of the tower and went feet first inside of it through a 24x24 inch window where a golden light shone out. I followed him in the same way. (The golden light in the heart of the Bride/tower is Christ and the Word. Alexander/Obama on the left will conquer the flesh of Christianity in America. However, as the Assyrian Beast leader, Sennacherib, conquered all of Israel but lost 185,000 men and was assassinated when he tried and failed to conquer Jerusalem, the Bride/tower, and so it will be in some form in these coming days [2 Kings 19:30-37]. I saw a vision of America as Nineveh, the head of the Assyrian world Beast. As Assyria was conquering other parts of Israel, some of these fled to the safety of the tower. As this happens, the people will seek God and their capital city, the Bride Zion/tower.) Inside, there was a very bright, white light. When my eyes adjusted, I saw it was a laboratory of some sort with countertops and lab equipment all around. In front of the north window that we had entered, there was a double stainless-steel sink with a high faucet. Next to it on the countertop was a black microscope. Alexander pointed to the microscope and exclaimed, “Look!” I looked into it and was sucked through it into a spiritual realm that was dark, with black, choppy water everywhere. I was aware in my spirit that it wasn't black just because it was dark. When I got my bearings, I looked around and realized I was on one of four Greek vessels sailing east at a quick and steady pace. (Could these represent the four generals that divided up Alexander's kingdom after they poisoned him?) The white sails were missing (not powered by the Spirit; i.e., wind) and the masts were bare and there were no oars. (not powered by man). (These vessels of judgment have no power against the Bride, who is guiltless by God's grace.) I was standing on the deck of the third vessel to the right. (Pestilence and blood? Corexit brought blood disorders and destroys the immune system like the vax does now.) There was one more vessel to my right, making it the fourth. Alexander was standing next to me on the deck. (I asked the Lord what the four vessels represented and he gave me Ezekiel 5:16-17: four judgments of famine, evil beasts, pestilence and blood (third vessel), and the sword.) (Today these have all been judgments through the DS. i.e the Ohio, East Palestine Chemical Dioxin fiasco, and other environmental disasters and blood contamination through MRNA vaccines. Microscopes are used many times to look at harmful microorganisms, representing unseen biohazards in food, water, and air that cannot be otherwise detected.) I looked ahead to the east and saw a large, bright star bigger and brighter than any I've ever seen. I knew instantly that it was Christ. Suddenly, two giant branches of lightning struck out sideways to the north and south of the star through dark gray clouds, and a voice came out of the star that resonated through my whole being on a cellular level. It said, “Proceed no further, for truly these are the very end of days!” Then, only the vessel we were on began to break apart into many broken pieces of splintered wood planks. Immediately, I was caught up away from Alexander, who was still on the deck of the vessel, back through the microscope and into the tower. (In his war against the Church at that time of the Tribulation, he will “proceed no further” against the Bride in these “end of days” by the edict of the King. This was just as it was when Ahasuerus stopped Haman, who, like Sennacherib of Assyria, died for his attempt on Esther, the Bride. Alexander the Great is said by some historians to have been assassinated by poison as he drank a bowl of unmixed wine to Hercules in the palace of Babylon, the great eagle. There seems to be a common thread of death or assassination to those rulers who attack the Bride/tower. I would like to remind any who read this that a Christian could never do this, for the Word says, “If any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed,” and “love your enemies,” and “Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God]: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord”.) I looked to my left where the sink was and noticed a reddish dyed tablet to the right of the drain in the right side of the sink, and there was a small stream of water running down onto the tablet, causing a red swirl that ran around the bottom of the sink clockwise before going down the drain. Then I woke up. (Because Jesus, the Word [water] poured out His blood [reddish tablet] unto death, the Bride will have life. If we take the tablet, or cure, we will have life. He said unless we ate His body, the bread and Word, and drank His blood, we would not have life.)   The Eagle and the Serpents Michael Boldea (David's notes in red) (The Angel said, “This has been revealed to you, that you may know, the first bite (on the eagle of the U.S.) has been, the second is yet to come, and the third will be its destruction”.) Psalm 34:7-8, “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him”. Upon my return to the United States in late August, I had a very vivid and troubling dream. I dreamt I was walking through a sparsely wooded forest, and suddenly my attention was drawn to an eagle (the U.S.) flying high above the tree line. It was a beautiful sight to behold as the eagle rode the thermals, flying in slow, lazy arcs across the blue sky. I began to quicken my pace and keep up with the eagle's flight, all the while keeping an eye on it, noticing that it was slowly descending toward the earth. (Becoming more corrupt) I followed it for a long time, its descent not being sudden but very gradual. Finally I came upon a small clearing, where there were no trees, just some bushes on the edges of the green grass. The eagle landed in the clearing and began to look around, not seeming to notice me. As I began to wonder what the relevance of this was, a man dressed in white, hands clasped in front of him, appeared beside me and said, “Be patient, in due time you will see the purpose”. I was silent as I watched the eagle, and was beginning to grow somewhat impatient, when suddenly (9/11 happened suddenly), it seemed out of nowhere a brown snake (the Muslims are a brown people and the Nazis wore brown shirts) lunged at the eagle, and bit down on its left wing. (In effect, 9/11 devastated the left wing and brought about a short-lived swing to the right as this nation's Christians prayed to their God to save their country.) The snake's strike was very quick and very precise. The eagle reacted without delay, clawing and pecking at the snake, cutting deep wounds in its underbelly, trying to defend itself and ward off the serpent. (USA, the great eagle is still pecking away at these enemies.) Just as it seemed the eagle was winning the battle, and the serpent was retreating, another serpent appeared, red and black diagonal stripes covering its body. (Red and white were the Obama's colors of choice for the election victory speech. Why red and black? Obama's associate for 20 years and mentor was Bill Ayers, who is an unrepentant terrorist, anarchist and Marxist who bombed his own country to bring about “change”, which is Obama's chief motto. Red and black are the colors of anarchists, socialists, left-wingers, communists, etc. Ayers told the New York Times on 9/11/01, “I don't regret setting bombs... I feel we didn't do enough.”) This serpent without hesitation struck out at the eagle's right wing, biting down, and refusing to release. (Many strikes have come from the left, false flags, plagues, assassinations, etc. These Satanists have never slowed down.) After a momentary tug of war, the serpent tore off flesh and feathers, leaving a large wound on the eagle's right wing. (Obama is purely a left-wing socialist who will use anything to tear a huge wound in the religious right of this land. Cheri Watson saw a vision of the Statue of Liberty sliced in two by a huge knife from right to left and the top half, or government, began to slide to the left and fall into the water. A line of leftist governments did much damage that President Trump has worked to reverse.) The second bite was much worse than the first, and for an instant the eagle was stunned. Then a serpent much larger than the previous two, made up of many colors came. (Leftist revolutionaries internally join with many enemy nations. Obama formed ISIS and gave billions to Iran to build underground cities to hide their missile and nuke program. Obama and Hillery sold our weapons to Saudi Arabia.), It slithered toward the eagle, opened its jaws and lunged, taking the whole of the eagle's head in its mouth before biting down. (The enemies take down the government and devastate the U.S., which brings revival.) The serpents retreated and the man (Jesus) who had been standing beside me walked to the eagle, knelt down, picked it up, and held it in his cupped hands. The look of grief on his face was beyond any I have seen in my life. Just seeing the look on the man's face broke your heart. The man continued to look down at the eagle, and with a pained voice said, “The true tragedy, is that at any moment it could have sought the safety of the above, it could have soared toward the heavens and would have found its protection. This has been revealed to you, that you may know, the first bite has been (9/11), the second is yet to come (leftist governments), and the third will be its destruction”. (In dreams we were shown the leftists have engineered many faults to magnify the destruction of coming earthquakes. This will cause the fall of the U.S. into wilderness tribulation.)   A Gigantic Wave Coming Samuel Fire - 2/22/23 (David's notes in red) I saw Tianna, myself, and many other UBM brethren standing together on the beach as a group. (The Lord told Abraham that his seed would be as the sands of the seashore.) Behind us, spread all around, was a large crowd of different people that I didn't know. The place was completely full. From afar, I saw a gigantic wave coming. The wave was about 42 stories high. (The beast will persecute the saints for 42 months. Rev.13:4-5 and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? And who is able to war with him? 5 and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months.) All the people that I didn't know began freaking out. Some were screaming and crying and others were trying to run away. All those people were so scared and shocked. All the UBM Brethren were so joyful and excited for this wave to come. It was as if we all had been waiting for this wave. (For us, this wave will bring victory for the Kingdom of God in that it will separate the tares from the wheat, which will shine forth in the kingdom as a great revival. Mat.13:40-43 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, 42 (notice the number) and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (Notice what comes at the end of verse 42 as in 42 months.) 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear. For those who are dead to self, there is no fear of the Beast. The end of this 42 months is the end of the crucifixion of the saints and the coming of the Lord for His saints.) Some of the crowd kept trying to run away to save themselves. A few others fell on their knees in repentance, crying to God because they knew they couldn't save themselves or do anything. (God will bring repentance through judgment to His elect.) As the wave came, the brethren had special equipment for the water. They had experience and had been trained to ride the wave, so they were prepared and knew exactly what to do. When the wave came, we were gently lifted up, and we just surfed the wave, riding the wave, and some were just walking on the water. (1Th.4:13 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep.) Everyone else was wiped out from the wave, but all the brethren were calm, having fun and a great time. (Psa.37:18-20) Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; And their inheritance shall be for ever. 19 They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish, And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: They shall consume; In smoke shall they consume away.)   Two Visions of a Wave of Destruction Marie Kelton – 2/17/23 (David's notes in red) Vision #1: During our evening meeting, I had a vision of a city with a few tall buildings. I saw white cars that were parked in the city. (Representing the righteous who are in the rest.) I then saw a huge wave come in from the right and flood the city. (Judgment begins in the house of God to cleanse it and then the wicked are judged, as we will see. 1Pe.4:17 For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?) Vision #2: Later on in the meeting, I had another vision of people in a city. The people were trying to run away from a huge wave of water that was coming towards them. (God is going to give His people a 3-year grace period during these times to work in Revival for His People and Kingdom. All provision will be given by Him.)

Israel has sought out the men of Egypt for help against their foes, but they have not sought the Lord their God. When God's people turn back to him, Assyria will fall by the sword of the Lord. A righteous kingdom is announced where rulers will rule justly, the fool will no longer be called a noble, and the Spirit will be poured out on the people. Next, woe is pronounced on the destroyer who is never destroyed, which is likely a reference to Sennacherib. In an upcoming episode we'll hear the account of his messengers mocking the God of Israel and taunting King Hezekiah. Finally, we'll read a poetic prophecy that envisions Bozrah, the capital city of Edom, as a ghost town, totally abandoned by people and home only to wild animals. We'll end with a prophecy about a Holy Way. Isaiah 31 -  1:07 .  Isaiah 32 - 3:31 .  Isaiah 33 - 7:06 .  Isaiah 34 - 12:55 .  Isaiah 35 - 16:39 .  Psalm 144 - 18:57 .  Psalm 145 - 21:09 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

After a brief excursion in the book of the prophet Hosea, we are back in the book of Isaiah. This episode begins with a proclamation of woe against Samaria, called Ephraim in this prophecy. Specifically, they are chastised for being drunk all the time, having no vision, clarity, or wisdom to give to others on behalf of the Lord. Shifting away from the northern kingdom of Israel, he then chastises Judah for making deals with Assyria, or “Death” as they are called poetically here. Jerusalem, referred to as “Ariel”, will be burned and destroyed, for they have refused to open their eyes to the Lord's commands. Finally, Isaiah condemns Jerusalem's alliance with Egypt, most likely a reference to King Hezekiah's reign. Isaiah 28 - 1:03 .  Isaiah 29 - 8:18 .  Isaiah 30 - 13:33 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Bible Talk is back! Our march through Isaiah continues as we enter a new section, in which Assyria's hype-man taunts Israel and tempts them to leave their God. Alex, Jim, and Sam discuss Isaiah 36.

Hosea continues to prophesy against the house of Israel which often referred to as “Ephraim” in today's text. Our passage begins with Hosea calling for repentance, knowing that the Lord forgives. The Lord laments that Israel's love is fleeting like the morning mist, for they are not faithful to the Lord. Instead, they are promiscuous, going after foreign gods through pagan rituals involving threshing floors or self-mutilation. Because of this, the glory of the Lord God will leave them and they will be taken captive into Assyria and into Egypt. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their rebellion against the Lord's covenant. Hosea 6 - 1:03 .  Hosea 7 - 2:58 .  Hosea 8 - 7:16 .  Hosea 9 - 10:03 .  Psalm 142 - 14:04 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

"When trouble comes, where do we look for help?In Isaiah 31:1–9, Judah was tempted to trust in the military strength of Egypt rather than in the living God. Isaiah exposes the folly of this choice: the Egyptians are merely men, their horses are flesh and not spirit, but the Lord is God. The help Judah truly needed could come only from Him.And God promises to provide it. He will defend Jerusalem, deliver His people, and cause Assyria to fall by a sword “not of man.” This promise was dramatically fulfilled when the Angel of the Lord struck down the Assyrian army outside Jerusalem.This passage reminds us that our greatest problems cannot ultimately be solved by human strength. We need the power of God and the work of His Spirit. And in Jesus Christ, God promises to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.**Text:** Isaiah 31:1–9**Theme:** God is able to save His people from every trouble.#Isaiah #TrustInGod #HolySpirit #JesusChrist #Salvation #Providence #ReformedTheology #BibleSermon"

“Gather together, O shameless nation, before the decree takes effect, before the day passes like chaff.” Zephaniah pleads with Judah to seek the LORD while there is still time. To seek righteousness, seek humility. Why? “Perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the LORD's anger.” Then the oracle sweeps the compass, Philistia to the west, Moab and Ammon to the east, Cush to the south, and at last Assyria to the north, where Nineveh is described as nothing more than a lodging place for wild beasts.  The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Zephaniah 2:1-15. To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. Edom stands at the crossroads and watches his brother Judah dragged off in chains, and Obadiah announces that the day of the LORD is coming for the bystander, too. Joel sees a locust swarm strip a nation bare in a single season, calls the people to rend their hearts and not their garments, and promises a Spirit poured out on all flesh. Nahum returns to Nineveh a century after Jonah's revival, and this time the superpower does not repent. Zephaniah spends two chapters on the day of wrath and then ends with the Lord singing over the people He has rescued. This series on Thy Strong Word works through these selected books of the so-called "minor" prophets verse by verse, showing how the Lord judges the nations while also keeping his promises to gather His people home.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Tatian was an important but controversial Christian writer of the second century, living approximately AD 120–180. His background Tatian tells us that he was born “in the land of the Assyrians.” The exact location is uncertain. Therefore, we should not confidently claim that he was born in Edessa. “Assyria” may refer broadly to the Syrian-Mesopotamian East. Tatian, Address to the Greeks 42 He was apparently raised in a pagan environment and received a Greek education. While searching through different religions and philosophies, he encountered the Hebrew Scriptures and became convinced that biblical revelation was older and wiser than Greek philosophy. His relationship with Justin Martyr Tatian traveled to Rome, where he became a student of Justin Martyr, one of Christianity's most important early apologists. Justin attempted to show that whatever was true in Greek philosophy ultimately came from the divine Logos. Tatian was much more confrontational. He believed that Greek culture had become proud, morally corrupt, and falsely presented itself as the source of human wisdom. Address to the Greeks Tatian's surviving apologetic work is called Λόγος πρὸς Ἕλληνας — Address to the Greeks. In it, he: Defends Christianity against pagan criticism. Argues that Moses and biblical revelation were older than Greek philosophy. Rejects pagan mythology and idolatry. Presents God as the Creator of everything. Describes the Logos as proceeding from God without dividing or diminishing God. Teaches that immortality is not naturally possessed by the soul but is received through union with God. The Diatessaron Tatian's greatest contribution was the Diatessaron, composed around AD 170. The Greek title διὰ τεσσάρων — dia tessarōn means “through four” or “from four.” Tatian combined Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John into one continuous account of the life of Jesus. In Syriac tradition it became known as: ܐܘܢܓܠܝܘܢ ܕܡܚܠܛܐ Ewangeliyōn da-Meḥalleṭē “The Gospel of the Mixed” or “The Combined Gospel.” Instead of reading four separate Gospel accounts, many Syriac-speaking Christians heard the story of Christ as one unified narrative. It exercised enormous influence in the Syrian churches, and Ephrem the Syrian later wrote a commentary on it. Beth Mardutho's Syriac biographical entry Why did Tatian become controversial? After Justin's martyrdom, Tatian appears to have returned eastward and adopted an extremely rigorous ascetic position. Irenaeus associated him with the Encratites, from Greek ἐγκρατής, meaning “self-controlled” or “continent.” They reportedly rejected: Marriage Sexual relations Meat Wine, including its use in the Eucharist Ascetic discipline was respected in early Christianity, especially in the East. Tatian's difficulty was not simply that he practiced strict discipline; he apparently transformed personal discipline into a universal theological requirement. His importance Tatian should be studied as both a foundational and complicated pioneer. His greatest contribution was bringing the four Gospels together and helping transmit their message into the Syriac Christian world. His greatest weakness was allowing his hostility toward Greek culture and his extreme asceticism to carry him beyond the Church's accepted teaching. He demonstrates an important historical principle: a Christian writer may make an extraordinary contribution without every part of his theology being accepted. Tatian's later errors do not erase the immense historical influence of the Diatessaron.

We begin with a pronouncement against Tyre, an island city that served as profitable port which traded in luxurious goods. Tyre established a trading colony called Tarshish (thought to be in modern-day Spain) which boasted impressive ships. Assyria attempted to take Tyre a number of times, but it was Nebuchadnezzar who first infiltrated the island city, followed by Alexander the Great who destroyed it. The following chapters in this episode concern God's judgment of the whole earth, a judgment brought about by the sin of mankind. Though celebration will come to an end for a time, God will eventually prepare a feast for the peoples of earth and death will be destroyed forever. Keep your ears open for messages of resurrection as we read. Isaiah 23 - 1:03 .  Isaiah 24 - 4:30 .  Isaiah 25 - 9:16 .  Isaiah 26 - 11:58 .  Isaiah 27 - 16:00 .  Psalm 140 - 19:08 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder! Nahum's last chapter moves like the assault itself, the crack of the whip, the rattle of the wheel, the galloping horse and bounding chariot, and then a question: are you better than Thebes? That Egyptian city sat secure behind her waters, and Assyria herself dragged the people of Thebes (No' ‘Amon) into exile. For Nineveh there is no easing of the hurt and no healing of the wound, and the book's last line explains why the nations clap when the news arrives: “upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?” God's judgment has come upon them as Law, but as comfort to those the Assyrians terrorized.  The Rev. Dr. Keith Haney, Assistant to the President for Missions, Human Care, and Stewardship in the LCMS Iowa District West, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Nahum 3:1-19. Edom stands at the crossroads and watches his brother Judah dragged off in chains, and Obadiah announces that the day of the LORD is coming for the bystander, too. Joel sees a locust swarm strip a nation bare in a single season, calls the people to rend their hearts and not their garments, and promises a Spirit poured out on all flesh. Nahum returns to Nineveh a century after Jonah's revival, and this time the superpower does not repent. Zephaniah spends two chapters on the day of wrath and then ends with the Lord singing over the people He has rescued. This series on Thy Strong Word works through these selected books of the so-called "minor" prophets verse by verse, showing how the Lord judges the nations while also keeping his promises to gather His people home.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Nahum walks Judah through the fall of Nineveh before it happens: red shields at the wall, chariots flashing through the squares, the river gates thrown open, the palace melting away. Assyria styled her kings as lions and their capital as the den where the prey was dragged home; Nahum asks where the lions' den is now. Behind all the poetry stands the one sentence that decides the outcome: "Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts." The city that tore the nations apart is torn apart, and the LORD restores the majesty of Jacob.  The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Nahum 2:1-13.  To learn more about Trinity in Edwardsville, visit trinitylutheranministries.org. Edom stands at the crossroads and watches his brother Judah dragged off in chains, and Obadiah announces that the day of the LORD is coming for the bystander, too. Joel sees a locust swarm strip a nation bare in a single season, calls the people to rend their hearts and not their garments, and promises a Spirit poured out on all flesh. Nahum returns to Nineveh a century after Jonah's revival, and this time the superpower does not repent. Zephaniah spends two chapters on the day of wrath and then ends with the Lord singing over the people He has rescued. This series on Thy Strong Word works through these selected books of the so-called "minor" prophets verse by verse, showing how the Lord judges the nations while also keeping his promises to gather His people home.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Fr. Mike highlights the people of Israel's flaw in trusting in the strength and power of Egypt, not realizing that although Egypt is like a towering cedar tree, the nation will eventually collapse. Fr. Mike also points out Jeremiah's vehement message to Israel to brace themselves for God's judgment. Today we read Jeremiah 4, Ezekiel 31-32, and Proverbs 14:17-20. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Welcome to Day 2926 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. Day 2926 – Theology Thursday – Biblical Leadership: A Study in Character, Consequence, and Integrity Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2926 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2921 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website, theologyinfive.com.   Biblical Leadership: A Study in Character, Consequence, and Integrity. Leadership in Scripture is never measured by charisma, military strength, or political skill. The biblical authors consistently judge leaders by their faithfulness, humility, and devotion to justice. The accounts of kings and rulers throughout the Bible reveal both the blessings that follow righteous leadership and the judgment that falls on those who abuse authority. These stories span Israel, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, showing that Yahweh holds all nations and rulers accountable, not only His covenant people. The first segment is: Pharaoh of Egypt: Pride That Brought a Nation to Ruin. The Pharaoh encountered in the Exodus account held absolute power within Egypt. His refusal to release Israel revealed a heart resistant to the authority of Yahweh. Even as the plagues displayed divine judgment, Pharaoh's pride pushed him toward decisions that harmed his people and devastated his land. His story is an enduring illustration of how leaders who elevate their own authority above truth bring suffering upon themselves and those they rule. The second segment is: King Saul: A Leader Consumed by Jealousy. Saul began his reign with promise, but his insecurity grew once David rose to prominence. Rather than celebrate Yahweh's deliverance through David, Saul viewed him as a rival. His jealousy hardened into paranoia, which shaped his leadership and led him to focus on David instead of protecting Israel. Saul's downward spiral demonstrates how internal corruption eventually reshapes every part of a leader's public role. His tragic end stands as a warning about the destructive nature of envy and fear. The third segment is: King David: A Leader After God's Heart Who Still Faced Judgment. David is remembered for his devotion to Yahweh and his role in unifying Israel. He displayed courage, integrity, and a shepherd's heart. His failures, however, reveal that even great leaders are not exempt from judgment. His sin with Bathsheba and his involvement in Uriah's death led to personal and national consequences. David's repentance and willingness to return to Yahweh show the humility that sets righteous leaders apart, even when they falter. The fourth segment is: King Solomon: Wisdom, Prosperity, and the Danger of Compromise. Solomon's early reign reflected wisdom and devotion. His construction of the temple and his administration brought peace and prosperity. Over time, his alliances and accommodation of foreign worship drew his heart away from Yahweh. The resulting spiritual compromise planted seeds that eventually fractured the kingdom. Solomon's life illustrates how gifted leaders fail when they drift from faithfulness. The fifth segment is: King Ahab: Greed and the Abuse of Authority. Ahab represents the danger of a leader who lacks moral grounding. His coveting of Naboth's vineyard and his willingness to accept Jezebel's deadly scheme expose a pattern of selfishness and corruption. Ahab used his authority to secure his own desires without regard for justice. The consequences that followed highlight the seriousness of exploiting power for personal gain and ignoring the responsibilities of righteous leadership. The sixth segment is: Sennacherib of Assyria: Blasphemy and the Fall of an Empire's Pride. Sennacherib's reign represented the height of Assyrian power. His campaigns were marked by cruelty and the oppression of surrounding nations. When he threatened Jerusalem and mocked Yahweh, he crossed the line from political aggression to spiritual defiance. Scripture records that Yahweh struck down his forces in a single night, showing that no king, no matter how powerful, can stand against the God of Israel. Sennacherib's fate reveals the limits of human power and the certainty of divine judgment on arrogant rulers. The seventh segment is: Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon: Pride Confronted by Divine Sovereignty. Nebuchadnezzar ruled one of the most powerful empires of the ancient world. His military victories and monumental building projects fostered a sense of self-exaltation. He demanded worship of the golden statue and boasted about his achievements without acknowledging Yahweh. His temporary downfall, recorded in Daniel, reveals how Yahweh humbles rulers who place themselves at the center of their own glory. Nebuchadnezzar's eventual repentance shows that Yahweh seeks restoration rather than destruction, even for pagan kings. The eighth segment is: Belshazzar of Babylon: Arrogance Without Repentance. Belshazzar provides a stark contrast to Nebuchadnezzar. During his infamous feast, he mocked Yahweh by drinking from the sacred vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple. His actions demonstrated reckless arrogance and spiritual blindness. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar showed no humility or willingness to learn from past judgment. His rule ended immediately after Yahweh declared his kingdom weighed and found wanting. Belshazzar's story highlights the danger of leaders who dismiss warnings and treat sacred things with contempt. The ninth segment is: Religious Leaders in the Time of Jesus: Failing to Shepherd God's People. The Pharisees and Sadducees held positions of spiritual authority but often used their influence to elevate themselves rather than guide the people faithfully. Their fixation on outward observance blinded them to the heart of the Law. Jesus confronted their hypocrisy and exposed their failure to shepherd the people entrusted to them. Their example reminds readers that leadership becomes corrupt when it seeks reputation rather than responsibility. In Conclusion The biblical accounts of kings and rulers create a consistent moral vision of leadership. The stories of Pharaoh, Saul, David, Solomon, Ahab, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and the religious leaders of Jesus' day show that authority is a trust given by Yahweh, not a tool for personal elevation. Leaders who walk in humility and justice create space for flourishing. Leaders who embrace pride, greed, or cruelty bring destruction on themselves and those under their care. Scripture reveals Yahweh as the one who judges unrighteous rule but also restores those who turn toward Him. True leadership reflects wisdom, integrity, and a heart aligned with His purposes. For further study, consider these Discussion Questions. How does Pharaoh's resistance to Yahweh set the tone for understanding how pride shapes destructive leadership throughout Scripture and the ancient world? In what ways do the stories of Saul, David, and Solomon show that a leader's private character inevitably affects the nation they govern? How does Ahab's corruption compare to the arrogance of Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar, and what patterns connect their failures? What can modern readers learn from Nebuchadnezzar's temporary repentance and Belshazzar's lack of repentance, especially regarding how leaders respond to correction? How does Jesus' confrontation of the Pharisees demonstrate that even spiritual leadership can collapse when authority is used for reputation rather than responsibility? Join us next Theology Thursday to learn Ascended Masters and the Return of Ancient Spiritual Deception. If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of  ‘Wisdom-Trek,  Creating a Legacy.'                          Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly,   I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:                      Liv Abundantly,     ...

Fr. Mike celebrates Day 200 of our journey by highlighting the relationship between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel according to the Lord's plan. We have a God who died for his enemies to make them his friends, and we see that foreshadowed in Isaiah, concerning the horrific acts of Assyria and Egypt. Today's readings are Isaiah 18-20, Nahum 1-2, and Proverbs 10:25-28. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.