The Geographical Details of Old Testament’s Messianic Prophecies

In a previous post “Revealed Apologetics Interview on The Old Testament & the Philosophy of Evidence” among the things talked about with the Old Testament as the worldview lens which we interpret the action of Jesus as being the Messiah is how environment/geography gives us clues that Jesus is the Messiah.

I want to give further details with that.

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Apologetics Session 14: The Old Testament is Philosophy of evidence interpreting Jesus as the Messiah

Purpose: We will consider three truths about the Old Testament as the lens to interpret Jesus as the Messiah.

1. Evidences is always interpreted by philosophy of evidence
2. There is progressive revelation
3. How does the old testament interpret the ministry of Jesus

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Apologetics Session 13: Jesus Existed in History

Establish the need: Did Jesus exist?

Purpose: We will consider four reasons why we know Jesus existed in history.

1. The New Testament itself as early witnesses to Jesus
2. The Roman witness of Pliny the Younger
3. The Roman witness of Tacitus
4. The Jewish witness of Josephus

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Apologetics Session 12: Old Testament argument for the New Testament

Establish the need: If someone Jewish or others say they don’t think there is a need for the New Testament as long as you have the Old Testament, what do you say?

Purpose: We will consider six reasons based upon the Old Testament to argue for the need of the New Testament.

1. Deuteronomy 18 anticipate the Prophet like Moses who will give more Word of God
2. The Pattern of Redemption followed by Revelation
3. Isaiah anticipate the Messiah will give more Word of God
4. 1-2 Chronicles leaves us with a cliff hanger
5. Malachi leaves us with a cliff hanger
6. The Pattern of a New Covenant followed by Revelation

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Apologetics Session 11: How to Give Evidence Presuppositionally

Establish the need: How do we give evidence as a Presuppositionalist?

Purpose: We will consider four points concerning giving evidence presuppositionally.

• There are no brute facts
• Why presuppositions matters
• Examples in action: Intelligent Design
• Presuppositionalist’s way of giving evidence

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Apologetics Session 10: The Inter-dependence of History and the Biblical Worldview

We will in future sessions cover historical aspects of apologetics so this is an important introduction.

Establish the need: What is the relationship between history and Christianity? Does Christianity depend on history and does history itself depend on the Biblical worldview?

Purpose: We will look at four focus to help us think about the relationship between history and a Biblical worldview.

1. What is history?
2. Christianity is Historical
3. History helps us to interpret and defend the Bible
4. History needs a Biblical worldview

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Apologetics Session 9: Islam, Quran and the Bible

Establish the need: How do we witness to Muslim?

Purpose: In this session we will give a guide for the Christian of how to defend the faith when it comes to the concerns of Islam, so that you can be an effective witness to your Muslim friend.

1. Important terms and individuals.
2. An Evangelistic and Apologetic Method
3. Verses from the Quran’s affirming the Bible
4. Alleged Verses from the Quran’s denying the authority and perseverance of the written Bible

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A Woke Rejection of the Masculine Description of God in the Bible

Someone shared his reading from a book that does not like identifying God as masculine:

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Exposition of Nahum Series: Table of Contents

I enjoyed teaching through the book of Nahum for the last few weeks/months.

I appreciate all those who prayed, listened, read and showed support and also insights into the passage!

Below are the table of contents to the outline to the lessons!

 

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Exposition of Nahum Part 10: Compassion in the midst of Judgment

Last installment: Part 9: Military Taunts 

Nahum 3:15b-19

Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the migratory locust. 16 You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven— The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away. 17 Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. 18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; Your officers are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to gather them. 19 There is no relief for your collapse, Your wound is incurable. All who hear [j]about you Will clap their hands over you, For upon whom has your evil not come continually?

 

Purpose: We will see two prediction that shows God’s Word is true and we submit to His authority.

• God predicts Assyria’s weakened economy (v.15b-17)
• God predicts Assyria’s king’s demise (v.18-19)

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Exposition of Nahum Part 9: Military Taunts

Last installment: Part 8: A Tale of Two Cities 

Nahum 312-15a

Establish the need: Have you know guys in the military that like to brag?

All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth. 13 Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars. 14 Draw for yourself water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold! 15 There fire will consume you, The sword will cut you down; It will consume you as the creeping locust consumes a crop. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the migratory locust.

 

Purpose: We will see two points that shows God predicting Assyria’s fall so that we believe God’s Word with what it says and submit to His authority.

1. God predicts Assyria’s vulnerabilities (v.12-13)
2. God mocks Assyria’s futile strength (v.14-15)

 

Context

• Nahum 3 has five sections: A woe oracle in verses 1-7, three taunts and a dirge for the Assyrian king (Timmer, 147).
• Two weeks ago we looked at Nahum 3:1-7 that gives us the reason why God is judging Nineveh and here this section doesn’t focus on Nineveh’s wrong but focus on Nineveh’s downfall (Timmer, 158).
• Last week we saw Nahum 3:8-11 the taunt: Will Nineveh be far better than Thebes (Timmer, 158)?
• Today’s passage we look at God’s taunt of Assyria’s military.

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Exposition of Nahum Part 8: A Tale of Two Cities

Last installment: Part 7: The Heinous Sins of Nineveh 

Nahum 3:8-11

Establish the need: Will evil countries and evil leaders get away with their sins?

 

Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the canals of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea? 9 Ethiopia was her might, Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers. 10 Yet she became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her small children were smashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with shackles. 11 You too will become drunk, You will be hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.

 

Purpose: We need to know three condemnation God bring against Nineveh and its result so that we desire to see God’s deliverance and also destruction of the wicked.

1. The advantages of Thebes over Nineveh (v.8-9)
2. Yet Thebes was destroyed (v.10)
3. Therefore Nineveh too will fall (v.11)

 

Context

• Nahum 3 has five sections: A woe oracle in verses 1-7, three taunts and a dirge for the Assyrian king (Timmer, 147).
• Last week we look at Nahum 3:1-7 that gives us the reason why God is judging Nineveh and here this section doesn’t focus on Nineveh’s wrong but focus on Nineveh’s downfall (Timmer, 158).
• The main question for the first taunt is: Will Nineveh be far better than Thebes (Timmer, 158)?
• Nineveh here is address as “you” which in the Hebrew is a feminine singular, consistent with other parts of the book to talk about Nineveh.

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Exposition of Nahum Part 7: The Heinous Sins of Nineveh

Last installment: Part 6: The Shepherd Versus the Lion

Nahum 3:1-7

Establish the need: The world is filled with stories of dark heavy sins.  Be warned, this passage we will look at involves some dark and heavy sins.  And from this we know that God condemns them and He is one day going to have a day of reckoning for those who commit vile sins.

Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage; Her prey does not leave. 2 The sound of the whip, The sound of the roar of the wheel, Galloping horses And bounding chariots! 3 Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, spears gleaming, Many killed, a mass of corpses, And there is no end to the dead bodies— They stumble over the dead bodies! 4 All because of the many sexual acts of the prostitute, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her sexual acts, And families by her sorceries. 5 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies; “And I will lift up your skirts over your face, And show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame. 6 I will throw filth on you And declare you worthless, And set you up as a spectacle. 7 And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated! Who will have sympathy for her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”

 

Purpose: We need to know three condemnation God bring against Nineveh and its result so that we desire to see God’s deliverance and also destruction of the wicked.

• Be warned God condemn Nineveh’s violation of the second table of the Ten Commandments (v.1)
• Be warned God condemn Nineveh’s militarism (v.2-3)
• Be warned God condemn Nineveh’s human trafficking (v.4)
• We need to know God punishment of Nineveh and its outcome (v.5-7)

 

Context

• Nahum 3 has five sections: A woe oracle in verses 1-7, three taunts and a dirge for the Assyrian king (Timmer, 147).
• For this woe, there’s about equal amount of words dedicated to condemnation as to the description of God’s punishment (Timmer, 147).

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Exposition of Nahum Part 6: The Shepherd Versus the Lion

Last installment: Part 5: Nineveh’s Inevitable Fall

Nahum 2:11-13

Establish the need: In light of God’s enemies being described as lions, who will you turn to when God’s enemies are active?  Is there a Shepherd that can take on these lions?

11 Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub went With nothing to disturb them? 12 The lion tore enough for his cubs, Killed enough prey for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh. 13 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; I will eliminate your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”

Purpose: We need to know three focus of God’s prophecy concerning Nineveh’s fall so that we desire to see God’s deliverance and also destruction of the wicked.

• We need to know the elimination of Assyria is astounding news (v.11)
• We need to know the oppression of Assyria is fierce (v.12)
• We need to know the causation of Assyria’s fall is the Lord (v.13)

 

Review: Last week we saw three focus of God’s prophecy concerning Nineveh’s fall so that we desire to see God’s deliverance and also destruction of the wicked.

• We need to know it is ironic to prepare for God’s attack (v.1)
• We need to know the description of Nineveh: Before and after Fall (v.3-10)
• We need to know the blessing for Judah with Nineveh’s Fall (v.2)

 

Context

While other portions of the book so far seems to be more direct prophecies here we see symbolic prophecies using the imagery/motif of lions.

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Exposition of Nahum Part 5: Nineveh’s Inevitable Fall

Last installment:  Part 4: Nahum in a Nutshell Part 2

 

Nahum 2:1-10

Establish the need: If you were to have a summary nutshell of the book of Nahum this would be the passage; do you know its message?

The one who scatters has come up against you. Keep watch over the fortress, watch the road; Bind up your waist, summon all your strength. 2 For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel, Even though destroyers have laid waste to them And ruined their vines. 3 The shields of his warriors are dyed red, The warriors are dressed in scarlet, The chariots are fitted with flashing steel When he is prepared to march, And the juniper spears are brandished. 4 The chariots drive wildly in the streets, They rush around in the public squares; Their appearance is like torches, They drive back and forth like lightning flashes. 5 He remembers his officers; They stumble in their advance, They hurry to her wall, And the mantelet is set up. 6 The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace sways back and forth. 7 It is set: She is stripped, she is led away, And her slave women are sobbing like the sound of doves, Beating their breasts. 8 Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Yet they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back. 9 Plunder the silver, Plunder the gold! For there is no end to the treasure— Wealth from every kind of desirable object. 10 She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees wobbling! Also trembling is in the entire body, And all their faces have become pale! 11 Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub went With nothing to disturb them? 12 The lion tore enough for his cubs, Killed enough prey for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh. 13 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; I will eliminate your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”

 

Purpose: We need to know three focus of God’s prophecy concerning Nineveh’s fall so that we desire to see God’s deliverance and also destruction of the wicked.

1. We need to know it is ironic to prepare for God’s attack (v.1)
2. We need to know the description of Nineveh: Before and after Fall (v.3-10)
3. We need to know the blessing for Judah with Nineveh’s Fall (v.2)

 

Context

Remember earlier in Nahum 1:2-8 it reveal God’s future universal judgment so here in Nahum 2:1-13 show us a historical partial manifestation of that judgment of God against an empire that mocks God (Timmer, 118-19).

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