The Book of Ezra records Israel’s return to the land after the Babylonian exile. The first half deals with Zerubbabel’s return and its ramifications (Ezra 1–6) and the second half deals with Ezra’s return and its ramifications (Ezra 7–10). Chapter 7 has a decree by Artaxerxes that gives Ezra permission to return, chapter 8 records the return. Then in chapter 9, Ezra learns that Israel had been intermarrying with pagans and prays and chapter 10 shows how Ezra dealt with this sin. The Book of Nehemiah would have originally been part of the same volume, so chapter 10 would actually be part of a 23-chapter book, though the versification was not added until much later.[Read More]
Apologetics
Four Objects Related to the 70-Year Chronology
Lately, I have been doing some work with the Book of Ezra, which begins with Cyrus’ decree that was issued, “that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished” (Ezra 1:1). Ezra does not actually quote Jeremiah, but assumes that the reader is biblically literate. The work that I am doing will explore the biblical issues further, but as I studied for that project, I came across some archaeological items that are worth discussing here.[Read More]
Three Arguments not to Make in the Chronology Debate
The Patterns of Evidence documentary series has become popular with evangelicals in recent years. It proposes a revised chronology based on David Rohl’s work that shortens the Egyptian timeline such that the Exodus weakened Egypt’s army, making them vulnerable for an invasion and occupation that’s known as the Hyksos Period (aka the Second Intermediate Period). Others who accept the historicity of the Exodus will typically say that Israel was enslaved during the Hyksos Period and left sometime afterwards during the Eighteenth Dynasty.
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We are spiritually dead before we sin.
There is room within orthodoxy Christianity to disagree over points in hamartiology, but an orthodox Christian should recognize immediately the false view that we spiritually earn a death sentence when we first sin. The biblical doctrine of spiritual death will be considered here from two angles: first the Godward side and then the manward side.
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Four Examples of Colossians 4:2–6
It is unlikely that you will argue over apologetics with an atheist until he becomes a believer. There are many benefits to apologetics in evangelism, but in the end, an unbeliever needs to accept what is written in the Bible. Namely, he needs to believe in Christ for eternal life. If he does not believe that God exists or that Christ is risen, etc., then he will not accept Christ’s offer of salvation. Even if he does believe in fundamental apologetic truths, he can still reject the Gospel and instead rely on his works for eternal life. We must use the Bible in evangelism.[Read More]
Trends in Ecotheology (Excerpt)
The following is an excerpt from a paper entitled, “Kingdom Postponement: A Watershed Doctrine for the Dispensational Worldview,” presented at the 2021 Council on Dispensational Hermeneutics.[Read More]