According2Sam Podcast

In 2004, for the first time in nearly 2,000 years, a group of men calling themselves the Sanhedrin was convened, and they have been active ever since. The Sanhedrin was the religious, political, and legal governing body in Judea during the Second Temple period, and it ceased to function after the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. This modern group, consisting of seventy men plus one, calls itself the Nascent Sanhedrin. In 2017, during the first administration of President Donald Trump, they minted a coin bearing images of the Persian king Cyrus the Great and President Trump. The group claimed that President Trump, like Cyrus, was chosen by Hashem to fulfill a divine mission. What divine mission does the Sanhedrin claim President Trump was chosen to fulfill, and how did a letter they sent to him last year reinforce this vision? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #379.

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If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, you know how iconic the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers were to that generation. You could see them piercing the New York City skyline in countless movies and TV shows from that era, along with many other cultural references that cemented their place in the public imagination. Symbolically, the Twin Towers represent a world that no longer exists. The Freedom Tower was built in their place as a statement of resilience and a commitment to rebuild and move forward. While it is a magnificent structure, it is not the same as the Twin Towers. Younger generations born in the era of the Freedom Tower will never know what it was like during the time of the Twin Towers, or fully grasp how much the world has changed. This was the experience of the Jewish people who lived during the time of the Second Temple. In what ways did they struggle to recreate the era of the First Temple? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #378.

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When King David became king of the Jews, God told him through the prophet Nathan, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” This is an unconditional promise emphasizing an everlasting dynasty through David’s line. However, there has not been a Jewish kingdom since the Hasmonean period, before the first century. Moreover, there has been no Jewish king from the royal line of David since Zedekiah, prior to the Babylonian exile. How, then, can David’s kingdom last forever through his line if there has not been a Jewish kingdom ruled by a descendant of King David for over 2,500 years? Does this mean the prophecy is false? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #377.

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Zerubbabel is one of the most important figures in Jewish history, yet he remains one of the lesser-known biblical characters. He was born during the Babylonian exile, and when the Persians conquered Babylon, they allowed the Jews to return to Judah to rebuild the Temple and the city. Zerubbabel rallied the people and led them back to their homeland. Many chose to remain in Persia, but those who returned were inspired by Zerubbabel and his leadership. He oversaw the rebuilding of the Temple, which encouraged many more Jews to return once it was completed. Zerubbabel played a central role in restoring the Jewish people and Jewish culture after the Babylonian captivity. What other factors played major roles in restoring the Jewish nation after the exile, and what obstacles did they have to overcome? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #376.

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There are a number of specific prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures that predict the destruction of Israel and the scattering of the Hebrew people throughout the world. These prophets not only foretold the scattering of the diaspora, but also the return of the people to Zion to rebuild the nation and the Temple. These prophecies were recorded over many centuries, with the earliest appearing in the Books of Moses. In most cases, they were made before the Assyrians destroyed the Kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians destroyed the Kingdom of Judah. Many people today believe that the prophecies predicting the return of the Jews to the land to rebuild the nation were fulfilled in 1948, when the modern State of Israel was created. However, is it possible that these prophecies were instead fulfilled when the Jews returned after the Babylonian exile? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #375.

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The recent incident in Minneapolis, in which a mother lost her life while confronting ICE agents, shares several parallels with the George Floyd incident in 2020. Both occurred in the same city, in election years, while Donald Trump was president, and both will be used by leftists to gain power. Although it will be harder for them to use this incident the way they used Floyd’s death, that won’t stop them from trying. One reason is that the woman who lost her life was white, eliminating a racial component. Another is that video from the officer’s point of view is already being released, showing that Renee Good and her wife were disruptive and failed to follow federal agent’s orders. How did leftists benefit from keeping the George Floyd video hidden from the public in 2020, and how is newly released video undermining their narrative today? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #374.

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Cyrus the Great was the first king and founder of the Achaemenid Empire, also known as the Medo-Persian Empire. He became the most powerful ruler in the world after conquering the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the sixth century BC. After defeating Babylon, he ended the exile of many peoples who had been taken captive by the Babylonians and allowed them to return to their homelands. This included the Jewish people, who had been held in captivity in Babylon for seventy years. They were permitted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the Temple. This decree by Cyrus is recorded in several passages of the Jewish Scriptures, and it is also documented in other historical sources. What are some sources outside the Bible that record Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon and his decree allowing the Jews to return home? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #373.

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Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation in the Book of Daniel have been a subject of controversy for over 2,500 years. The most controversial passage concerns the fifth kingdom. There are a total of six kingdoms represented in the dream, and few scholars doubt the identity of the first four. The gold represents the kingdom of Babylon. The silver represents the kingdom of Persia. The bronze represents the kingdom of Greece, and the iron represents the kingdom of Rome. These interpretations are widely accepted. However, when it comes to the fifth kingdom, which is represented by a mixture of iron and clay, scholars have debated its meaning for centuries. There are nearly as many theories as there are scholars. What is my theory of the fifth kingdom of iron and clay? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #372.

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The Book of Daniel is one of the most fascinating texts in the Bible. It is set during the Babylonian exile under King Nebuchadnezzar II and is written from the perspective of Hebrew captives. The book includes stories and prophecies about the Jewish people as well as about Gentiles. One prophetic story describes a dream the king has in chapter 5, which Daniel interprets. The dream is about a giant statue of a man representing five great kingdoms. The first kingdom is the Babylonian Empire, followed by the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and then the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire is represented by the legs of the statue, symbolizing two paths. The final kingdom destroys the statue and is interpreted as a kingdom that will last forever. What are the two paths of the Roman Empire, and what is Rome today? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #371.

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The construction of the first Temple of Yahweh under King Solomon was an architectural and engineering feat in the ancient world. Even today, the work of the stonemasons and master builders who erected the Temple is celebrated in the lore and rituals of Freemasons and related groups. Not only was the building of the Temple significant, but its destruction by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Neo-Babylonians was also of great importance. For over one thousand years, it had been the center of Hebrew life and culture, and its destruction signaled not only the end of a dynasty and a kingdom, but also the close of an era. What reason does the Bible give for the destruction of the First Temple and the ensuing Babylonian exile? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #370.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com