The Universe Next Door

By Nick ShalnaReligion & Spirituality Christianity

The Universe Next Door episodes

January 23, 2024 The Divine Council is More Practical than you Thought
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
Are you able to look at the Bible objectively or do you feel the need to skip over intimidating or weird concepts? What do we do with passages suggesting that angels and spiritual beings have authority if only God has authority? Why would Israel worship stone and wooden idols rather than worship God? Join us as we talk about the top 5 practical applications of the Divine Council worldview regarding the Bible and our lives.

Send your questions now to [email protected] for our Q&A that will be released this Friday night at 5 pm!

Other Divine Council Episodes:

The Divine Council and Significance of 70:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/14285820-the-divine-council-and-the-significance-of-70

The View that Changed the way I Read the Bible:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12196148-the-view-that-changed-the-way-i-read-my-bible-divine-council-worldview

Who Were the Nephilim?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/13026899-who-were-the-nephilim-the-beginning-of-sexual-transgression
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42 min
January 19, 2024 Who are the Angels of the Seven Churches in Revelation?
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
What is different about Revelation compared to other books in the Bible? Have we taken too much of a dry and modern approach to understanding apocalyptic literature? Is there a link between the Seven Spirits of God and the Seven Stars who play a crucial role in the book? How do Second Temple Period writings such as Enoch influence the New Testament authors and their writings?

Send your questions now to [email protected]

Angels, Cherubim, and Seraphim: (prior episode)
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/14321665-angels-cherubim-seraphim-and-the-spiritual-realm-who-are-they

Who is Satan?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/11692097-the-serpent-and-the-guardian-cherub-who-is-satan-part-1
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31 min
January 16, 2024 Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim and The Spiritual Realm (Who are They?)
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
We often hear angels described as female creatures with wings. It's common to view demons as those who rebelled alongside Satan at the fall or perhaps even creatures who lost a battle against God's angels. But is these ideas found in Scripture? Join us as we dive into the topics of angels and demons, seraphim and cherubim, and why it's so important to do our best to study topics through the lens of biblical authors rather than our own biases and preferences.

Send your questions now to [email protected] for our Q&A on the last Friday of the month!

Who were the Nephilim?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/13026899-who-were-the-nephilim-the-beginning-of-sexual-transgression

Where are the Angels Who Sinned?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/13069107-is-hell-eternal-and-where-are-the-angels-who-sinned
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41 min
January 10, 2024 The Divine Council and the Significance of 70
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
Why does the number 70 seem to pop up in crucial situations throughout the Bible? Did God give authority to other 'gods' whom He later judged for accepting worship? What did God intend to do with the nations who abandoned Him at the tower of Babel? How do the Babel story and the number 70 tie in with what Christ came to redeem us from?

Send your questions to [email protected] NOW for the Q&A that will be released on Friday, January 26!

Divine Council Introduction:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12196148-the-view-that-changed-the-way-i-read-my-bible-divine-council-worldview

The Corrupted Sons of God:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12290812-the-terrifying-truth-behind-worshiping-idols

Who Were the Nephilim?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/13026899-who-were-the-nephilim-the-beginning-of-sexual-transgression

Unseen Realm Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Realm-Recovering-Supernatural-Worldview/dp/1683592719/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1704902968&sr=8-1
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41 min
January 09, 2024 The Return of the Divine Council (Promo)
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
What significance does the number 70 have in the Bible? Why does this number seem to pop up during some of the most significant events throughout Scripture and how will Jesus redeem His people from the corrupted sons of God? Join us tomorrow morning to find out!

The Meaning of Elohim:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/11648324-why-do-the-names-of-god-matter-elohim-yahweh-son-of-man

The Divine Council Worldview:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12196148-the-view-that-changed-the-way-i-read-my-bible-divine-council-worldview
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2 min
January 02, 2024 Five Skeptic Challenges You (Probably) Aren’t Prepared For
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
Why are there differences in the gospels? Is Genesis 1-11 reliable and what blind spots might I have in that area? Is it possible that the Apostle Paul hallucinated on the road to Damascus and why should we think he's any different than Joseph Smith? Join us as we try our best to objectively respond to these skeptic challenges and more!

Send your questions for our next Q&A to [email protected]

Mike Licona on Differences in the Gospels:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12156556-how-to-understand-the-gospels-correctly-mike-licona

Gary Habermas on the Minimal Facts Argument:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12577844-why-the-evidence-for-the-resurrection-is-overwhelming-gary-habermas
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54 min
December 26, 2023 The Top 5 Views I Changed in 2023 (And Why)
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
What views did you change in 2023? Are there any you've thought more deeply about or had to admit that you didn't have the details right? What Universe Next Door episodes would we recommend from 2023 that might make you rethink some of your positions or grow in knowledge about other positions?

For our Next Q&A planned to be released on Friday, January 26, send your questions now to [email protected]!

Top 5 Episode Recommendations:

1. Billboard Chris - What It Looks Like to Fight Child Grooming:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/13700312-what-it-looks-like-to-fight-child-grooming-billboard-chris-defeating-defeatism-doom-and-groom

2. Did Jesus Abolish the Law?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/13453016-did-jesus-abolish-the-law-laying-down-the-law-series-pt-2

3. Why Romans 9 Is So Highly Debated:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12809463-why-romans-9-is-so-highly-debated-romans-9-11-series

4. The View That Changed the Way I Read My Bible (Divine Council):
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12196148-the-view-that-changed-the-way-i-read-my-bible-divine-council-worldview

5. How To Understand Jesus' Nature as God and Man:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12010425-how-to-understand-jesus-nature-as-the-god-man
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50 min
December 19, 2023 Santa Claus is Coming to Town: What Will You Do? (Jesus, Nicholas of Myra, Odin & Mythology)
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
Where did the modern idea of Santa Claus come from? Did he derive from a Greek god or a Christian bishop? Did St. Nick punch Arius in the face at the Council of Nicea? Should you teach your children that Santa Claus is real and what alternative options exist? If Santa is based on a historical figure-gone-myth, is the same true of Jesus of Nazareth? Join us as Nick Shalna discusses all things Santa Claus

Send your questions to [email protected]

Sources and Resources:
Is the New Testament Terribly Altered and Untrustworthy?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/11224460-is-the-new-testament-terribly-altered-and-untrustworthy-dan-wallace-why-should-i-trust-the-new-testament-pt-1

A Pagan Christmas? Saturnalia and Christmas Trees:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/14135887-a-pagan-christmas-saturnalia-and-christmas-trees-part-1

Saint Nicholas Bishop of Myra - D.L. Cann
https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Nicholas-Bishop-Myra-Christmas/dp/2895073082/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JIBVBPRK785M&keywords=saint+nicholas+bishop+of+myra&qid=1702910779&sprefix=saint+nicholas+bishop+of+myra%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1

Santa Claus vs. Arius Article:
https://aleteia.org/2021/12/06/did-st-nicholas-punch-arius-at-the-council-of-nicea/

Washington Post Article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2022/12/22/todays-santa-claus-is-rooted-american-mythology/

CS Lewis Quote:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/past-watchful-dragons
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44 min
December 12, 2023 A Pagan Christmas? Saturnalia and Christmas Trees (Part 1)
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
Did the modern Christmas holiday borrow its celebrations and festivities from the pagan Roman holiday Saturnalia? What early sources are there to demonstrate this? Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Are Christmas trees forbidden by God in the Bible? Join us for the first part of our Christmas series and be sure to check out next week's episode on whether or not our kids should believe in Santa Claus!

Send your Christmas questions to [email protected]

When Was Jesus Actually Born?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/11965258-when-was-jesus-actually-born

The Truth Behind Worshiping Idols:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12290812-the-terrifying-truth-behind-worshiping-idols

Article Referenced: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/saturnalia
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35 min
December 05, 2023 How Should Christians Deal with AI? | John Lennox
Send us your Questions and Comments Here
How should Christian’s view artificial intelligence? Is it sinful to use it? What different types of AI are there? How concerned should our society be? Nick Shalna is joined by Dr John Lennox to discuss the growing phenomenon.

Send your questions to [email protected] for our new Christmas series!

This episode was recorded in the summer of 2022
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42 min

About The Universe Next Door

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The Universe Next Door is a program of Apologetics Inc. that seeks to answer your questions on the meaning of life, worldview, and the existence of God.