Gilbert House Fellowship

WE’RE BACK with a brief summary of highlights from our whirlwind tours of the Holy Land and the UK. We discuss sites we visited, such as Gilgal Refaim, Joshua’s altar, and Harosheth Haggoyim (the headquarters of Sisera, commander of the army of the Canaanite king Jabin), the amazing artifacts at the British Museum, and an incredible divine appointment at the site of Aleister Crowley’s home overlooking Loch Ness.

Our next study of the Old Testament begins with Genesis 1 next week!

Download these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Get our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Sharon’s new novel Realms of Fire is available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader! The print edition should be available this week. For more information, see Sharon’s website, www.sharonkgilbert.com, or www.TheRedwingSaga.com.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

WE WEREN’T quite finished after all! Marilyn Abbott, who spotted our oversight of Deuteronomy 9 about six weeks ago, informed us this week that we’d also skipped over three chapters of the Gospel of John. (Thank you again, Marilyn!)

So, today we discuss Jesus’ final meeting with his disciples just before his betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane. This included his promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, a prophecy of his return from the grave, and his prayer that the Father protect his disciples (and us) from the attacks of those who are in service to the ruler of this world (i.e., Satan).

We also talk about the concept of “the Name,” and we examine the epithet Jesus gave Judas Iscariot, the “son of destruction” (Greek apōleias), and its connection to the god Apollo, who was known to Mesopotamians as Resheph and Nergal, a god of plagues and the gatekeeper of the underworld. It’s not by coincidence that John identified the king of the entities in the Abyss as Apollyon, which is a variant of Apollo.

Josh and Christina Peck need your help. Pray for their son, Nathan, who was recently diagnosed with T-cell leukemia. The whole family is with Nathan while he’s being treated. If you are led to help financially, you can do so at www.JoshPeckDisclosure.com/donate.

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Sharon’s new novel Realms of Fire is available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader! The print edition should be available this week. For more information, see Sharon’s website, www.sharonkgilbert.com, or www.TheRedwingSaga.com.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

WE REACH the end of the Old Testament today, the Book of Malachi, and with that we have completed our journey through the entire Bible.

We discuss God’s condemnation of faithless rituals and the priests that perform them, His anger at those who had “married the daughter of a foreign god,” and His promise to return on “the great and awesome day of the Lord.”

Josh and Christina Peck need your help. Pray for their son, Nathan, who was recently diagnosed with T-cell leukemia. The whole family is with Nathan while he’s being treated. If you are led to help financially, you can do so at www.JoshPeckDisclosure.com/donate.

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Sharon’s new novel Realms of Fire is available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader! The print edition should be available this week. For more information, see Sharon’s website, www.sharonkgilbert.com, or www.TheRedwingSaga.com.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

NEHEMIAH DISCOVERED what God already knew — His people were a stubborn lot.

After returning from a visit to the Persian king Artaxerxes to report on the work that had been done in Jerusalem, Nehemiah discovered that the reforms he and Ezra the priest had instituted, a return to the Law given to Moses, had already been forgotten. Jerusalem was open for business on the Sabbath, with people buying, selling, and working through their day of rest.

Worse, Tobiah the Ammonite had exploited a family connection to the priest in charge of the temple storerooms to get a chamber for his own use in the Temple—a room that had previously been used to store temple vessels, frankincense, and tithes of grain, wine, and oil.

We discuss Nehemiah’s response to this, move on to a passionate Psalm about the return to Zion, and then begin our study of the final book of the Bible, Malachi, which may include a veiled prophecy of Islam.

Josh and Christina Peck need your help. Pray for their son, Nathan, who was recently diagnosed with T-cell leukemia. The whole family is with Nathan while he’s being treated. If you are led to help financially, you can do so at www.JoshPeckDisclosure.com/donate.

Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel has added a special visit to Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, where Jim Barfield of the Copper Scroll Project will show us some of the sites where he believes some of the most important religious artifacts in history may be buried.

The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you’d return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to www.LipkinTours.com. But don’t wait!

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Sharon’s new novel Realms of Fire is available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader! The print edition should be available this week. For more information, see Sharon’s website, www.sharonkgilbert.com, or www.TheRedwingSaga.com.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

PERSEVERANCE IN the face of opposition is one of the lessons from our reading today. The Samaritans, Ammonites, and Arabs in Nehemiah’s day tried to discourage the Jews through threats, political pressure, and even a conspiracy to assassinate Nehemiah.

With the work completed, Ezra led the people in a reading of the Law and a restoration of the Feast of Tabernacles, which, we were surprised to learn, hadn’t been observed since the Exodus!

We also discuss the meaning of God’s promise to make Abraham’s descendants “as the stars of heaven,” which is a reference to our future restoration as members of the divine council, not the number of Jews and Christians on the earth.

Josh and Christina Peck need your help. Pray for their son, Nathan, who was recently diagnosed with T-cell leukemia. The whole family is with Nathan while he’s being treated. If you are led to help financially, you can do so at www.JoshPeckDisclosure.com/donate.

Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel has added a special visit to Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, where Jim Barfield of the Copper Scroll Project will show us some of the sites where he believes some of the most important religious artifacts in history may be buried.

The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you’d return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to www.LipkinTours.com. But don’t wait!

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Sharon’s new novel Realms of Fire is available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader! The print edition should be available this week. For more information, see Sharon’s website, www.sharonkgilbert.com, or www.TheRedwingSaga.com.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

NEARLY ONE hundred years after Cyrus issued his decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, the walls of the Holy City still had not been rebuilt.

Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, was granted permission to return to Judah for twelve years and oversee the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. We discuss the opposition to Nehemiah, from without and within, and how he directed his crews to work while prepared to defend themselves.

Josh and Christina Peck need your help. Pray for their son, Nathan, who was recently diagnosed with T-cell leukemia. The whole family is with Nathan while he’s being treated. If you are led to help financially, you can do so at www.JoshPeckDisclosure.com/donate.

Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel has added a special visit to Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, where Jim Barfield of the Copper Scroll Project will show us some of the sites where he believes some of the most important religious artifacts in history may be buried.

The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you’d return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to www.LipkinTours.com. But don’t wait!

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

THE SECOND group to return from Babylon to Jerusalem was led by Ezra the priest, who secured permission from the Persian king Artaxerxes in 458 B.C. It was a four-month journey, which the Jews undertook without an armed guard, something that was unheard of in a time when caravan raiders were likely to prey on unsuspecting travelers — especially a group loaded down with more than 30 tons of gold and silver!

Then, in Jerusalem, the people confessed to Ezra that many of the Jews, including priests, had married pagan women during the exile. We discuss the Law concerning marriage with unbelievers and note that this was not a racial thing, it was a command against intermarrying with pagans. It was not an easy thing, but something that was necessary, especially for those who served in the Temple.

Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel has added a special visit to Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, where Jim Barfield of the Copper Scroll Project will show us some of the sites where he believes some of the most important religious artifacts in history may be buried.

The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you’d return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to www.LipkinTours.com. But don’t wait!

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

AN ASTUTE listener pointed out that we skipped chapter 9 of Deuteronomy way back between studies #44 and #45, so we begin this week by correcting that oversight. Thank you, Marilyn!

We find a wonderful nugget in Moses’ directions to the Israelites, based on the intriguing link between the Hebrew word for “cities” and the Aramaic word for “Watchers.”

Then we move to the climax of the Book of Esther, in which Haman gets his comeuppance, which was more gruesome than you’ve been taught. (The Hebrew word translated “gallows” really means “pike,” or something similar. Think Vlad the Impaler, and you get the idea.)

One of the main takeaways from Esther is this bit of advice from Mordecai to his young cousin, the queen:

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV)

——

Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel has added a special visit to Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, where Jim Barfield of the Copper Scroll Project will show us some of the sites where he believes some of the most important religious artifacts in history may be buried.

The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you’d return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to www.LipkinTours.com. But don’t wait!

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

THE STORY of Esther, a Jewish woman who became queen of Persia, is the origin of the Purim holiday, celebrating the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman, a key advisor to Xerxes, the king.

In today’s #MeToo culture, however, the story has been hijacked by our 21st century Western worldview. We discuss the differences between Esther and the deposed queen Vashti; obvious changes to the Book of Esther in the Septuagint translation; and why Esther wouldn’t have been in a position to help her people if she hadn’t been subservient to Xerxes and her cousin and guardian, Mordecai.

Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel has added a special visit to Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, where Jim Barfield of the Copper Scroll Project will show us some of the sites where he believes some of the most important religious artifacts in history may be buried.

The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you’d return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to www.LipkinTours.com. But don’t wait!

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.

APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES of the coming Day of the Lord are the focus of the last three chapters of Zechariah. Today we discuss the prophet’s vision of the final battle of the age and compare it to Armageddon and the war of Gog and Magog.

We also talk about the aftermath, the millennial reign (although Zechariah doesn’t call it that), and the final world order, when God rules and reigns over the entire world from Jerusalem.

Update: The 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel is nearly full!

The tour flies from New York City to Tel Aviv Sunday, May 12, 2019, and returns Thursday, May 23. If you want to extend your trip a few days to join us in Jordan, you’d return Monday, May 27, 2019. For more information, log on to www.LipkinTours.com. But don’t wait!

Hey, we can send these studies directly to your phone, tablet, or iPod! Download our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, and click here for the Old Testament studies to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.