Understand the God Who Speaks

Amos started out a layman and became the prophet who proclaimed the lion roars. He owned many flocks of sheep that were bred for kings and sacrificial systems. He too was a fig tree farmer.

At the heart of the introductory verses to the book of Amos is the incredible image of the lion roars (1:2). Will a lion roar in the forest? Yes, and it will roar from Jerusalem, even from the temple itself, because it is God’s message which roars. The expression translated “utters his voice” in verse two refers to the roar of thunder (e.g., 2 Sam. 22:14; Pss. 18:13; 77:17-18 [Hebrew, 18-19]; 104:7). It is thunder which brings destruction.

Amos “saw” (Hebrew “haza”) words that roared (1:1). Words that Amos saw become more than what you could have imagined. God granted Amos access to the council of God in the heavens (compare Jer. 23:18; 1 Kings 22:19-22; 2 Chron. 18:1-17). He saw what God sees from the perspective of Heaven. Amos admonishes Israel for their sins and proclaims their forthcoming judgment from the heaven itself.

The lion roars and its shattering effect brings earthquakes (Amos 1:1; cf. Zech. 14:5), drought, and exile (Amos 1:2; 1:3-2:16). Amos 3:3 and Amos 3:11 speak well of this destruction.

Many know Amos as the prophet of social justice because of Amos’ message regarding the sins of the people toward the poor and needy. Amos preached we should care for the poor and needy. While Amos cares deeply for the lack of social justice, he addresses this problem by drawing attention to the underlying issue.

He suggests that the sins of the people are a result of their broken covenant with Yahweh for which they face impending judgment. The foundation for Amos’ oracles to the northern kingdom is the Abrahamic covenant (Amos 2:6-16). His speech to the nations is about breaking the Noahic covenant (Amos 1:3-2:3). But Amos refers to the Mosaic covenant (Amos 9:15) and the Davidic covenant (Amos 9:11) too.

Though Amos is known as the prophet of social justice, his message of the lion roars has greater depth and breath. He accuses Israel of sins against the poor and needy. These sins can be divided into three categories: taking advantage of the poor and needy (2:6–7; 4:1; 5:11; 8:4–6), violence (3:10), and denying justice and integrity (5:7, 10, 12, 15, 24; 6:12). The idea of a prophet concerned with social justice strikes a chord with many today, as it has for centuries. The denial of justice, rights, wealth, and privilege to certain classes of people has been a major problem in all societies, including modern America.

And there is much to learn about Amos’ condemnation of social injustice. However, to sum up Amos’ message as a call for social justice is to minimize the breadth of his message and fail to understand the foundation of his message. Social justice that stands on any other foundation than the truth of Yahweh is an incomplete and imperfect form of social justice. Amos does not attack their lack of social justice on the grounds of morality. Absolutely not. For in Amos (and the entire Bible), to deny social justice is to work against Yahweh.

Additionally, while Amos does address a lot of social justice issues, he spends more time addressing Israel’s relationship to Yahweh. He refers to their twisted cultic banquets (2:7–8; 6:4–7), their treatment of those commissioned by Yahweh (2:11), and their cultic places and activities (3:14; 4:4–5; 5:4–6, 21–23, 26; 8:5). So while Amos does concentrate on issues we would call “social justice,” he has a much broader perspective, a perspective founded on the full revelation of Yahweh. The lion roars become a fitting expression for Amos’ message in 1:1 – 2:16 and we best pay heed to it.

Angels and demons give us fascinating material. We study the Bible, and we think we know about angels and demons, but our vision is dim to the biblical reality. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus opened the Old Testament to two of his disciples (Luke 24:27). They saw what was not obvious to them while Jesus walked with them on earth. They must have thought how much they had missed understanding Moses, David, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. How could they have missed it when the truth was staring them in the eye?

Angels and demons have too often been made a side-story. Our study of them in seminary or in college is to a one-hour presentation. It becomes a blip on our biblical radar. Angels and demons are so much more. Michael Heiser also provides an excellent introduction to many important extrabiblical texts. Simply for these reasons, pastors and serious Bible students will want to read Demons. Heiser’s work is also a helpful way for a general audience to be introduced to the material from 1 Enoch and other intertestamental Jewish literature that has recently become prominent in biblical studies.

Biblical angels and demons are a far cry from our vision of them. Dr. Michael Hesier theology opens the door to understanding the Angel of the Lord, the Satan, the Devil, the heavenly host, angels, and the serpent.

What do angels look like? Are demons fallen angels? What is the story of angels and demons? Michael Heiser gives us straight answers to age old questions. God chose to work through a divine council of supernatural beings. God created them and held sovereignty over them. He intended for His council to include human representatives who would meet at Eden, the nexus which united heaven and earth. This begun a series of three rebellions which engulfed all creation. But God would not let it deter him from His mission. He would complete what He started out to do. Heaven and earth would become united again but on a different level than what angels and demons had anticipated.

In “Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness,” Michael Heiser debunks popular presuppositions about the true powers of darkness. Rather than speculation, it’s grounded in what people of both the Old and New Testament eras believed about evil forces and what the Bible actually says. Gain a biblical understanding of demons, supernatural rebellion, evil spirits, and spiritual warfare.

Everyone knows that angels have wings, usually carry harps, and that each of us has our own personal guardian angel, right? We all have some preconceptions about angels from movies, television shows, and other media, but you might be surprised to know that a lot of those notions aren't based on anything from the Bible. If you read Luke 1:26–38 and imagine the angel Gabriel standing before Mary with neatly folded white wings, you're not getting that picture from anything the Bible itself says.

The study of angels and demons raises important questions. Your host, Dale Moreau, will ask important question around this topic. Dr. Hesier will give us fresh insights of the biblical text. Heiser frequently notes problems in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Old Testament, preferring variant readings. Once more, a central part of his argument rests on a disputed textual foundation. But even more, Heiser sometimes argues that infelicitous human translations of the Old Testament made their way into the New Testament itself, thus obscuring the true meaning of the spiritual material. For example: “The New Testament has fewer words for the powers of darkness and loses some of the nuanced presentation of evil spirits found in the Old Testament” (2). This need not mean that Heiser doubts the divine inspiration of the Bible, but it does suggest that portions of Scripture are contingent on partial errors in history,

What a wonderful opportunity of having Dr. Andreas Köstenberger again discussing with us the theology of John. We will talk about Johannine theology and scriptures. John’s Gospel is called the “spiritual gospel” and has moved countless souls to recognize the need for Christ. Understood this way, there is every reason to believe that John, as a “spiritual gospel” is grounded firmly in actual historical events.

The theology of John sometimes has been presented in complex way  by scholars. But Dr. Köstenberger gives it to us plain and simple and yet with depth. John’s Gospel begins with the word made flesh witnessed by the Baptist’s witness (Jn. 1:6-8, 15). These events are grounded in the tabernacle (Jn. 1:14) and giving of the law through Moses (Jn. 1:17). The evangelist uses “witness” language to testify to these events.

Theology is the study of God and all things relating to Him. Religion is that which ultimately binds a person to a way of valuing comprehensively, coherently, and passionately. Christianity is the only religion which captures both. John’s Gospel brilliantly describes the essence and definition of theology and religion fully in Jesus Christ.

John opens his gospel with a reference to the work of creation “in the beginning” through “the Word” (1:1). John the Baptist serves as the “evangelist of God’s covenant people” here, because creation is not only a universal event, it is also part of Israel’s history. In fact, the message of the Genesis creation narrative is not so much that God created the world and later became the God of Israel, but rather that the God of Israel in the beginning created the world. Creation, in other words, is the first act of the faithful, covenant-keeping God. Hence, in keeping with the message of Genesis, John reaches all the way back to creation to draw a typological connection: in the beginning the God of Israel created the world through the Word; now, in Christ, that same God took on flesh, made his residence among his people, and revealed his glory.

Immediately in verse 1, also, John sounds the all-important issue that will dominate much of the ensuing gospel: the Word’s (Jesus’) relationship to God. John’s initial words erect a certain tension that places Jesus’ identity within the following matrix: the Word was at creation “with God,” and the Word “was God” (with theos, “God,” in the emphatic position in the original Greek). The former truth—that the Word was at creation with God—would have been readily conceded by everyone; the latter assertion—that the Word itself (or himself) was God—was open to question and further debate. John’s argument here is that the Word, as God’s creative agent, constituted an extension of God’s own person, as the one through whom God’s creative power became effective. Ultimately, therefore, God the Creator and the Word through which (or whom) he created are inseparable, and according to John they share the same identity while at the same time being distinct. One detects here the quarry from which later conciliar doctrines defining and describing the relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son were hewn.

I hope you like the podcast of the theology of John. Everyone should listen.

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Signs of the Messiah are wordless prophecies. Dr. Andreas Köstenberger tells us about signs. He says they point to things future without words explaining their meaning. The Apostle John makes use of these signs in an Old Testament way in His Gospel. Seven signs in John’s first twelve chapters point to the Messiah. Jesus is bigger than Moses. He is bigger than His miracles.

Water into Wine at Cana (Jn. 2:1-12) is the first sign of the Messiah. It reveals the Messiah’s glory and the touchstone of belief for the disciples (Jn. 2:11).

In Old Testament times, Gideon asked God for a sign. Later, Hezekiah did as well. Moses performed mighty “signs and wonders” during the exodus. The prophets too acted out sings. They acted symbolic gestures conveying God's message to His people. Isaiah went about stripped down to his undergarments. It became a symbol of God's message of judgment on Israel. Their fate became sealed. They had rejected God. Their result would be exile to Babylon.

People asked Jesus for signs. After Jesus had fed a crowd of five thousand, Jesus’ opponents were at it again. “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?” they asked (Jn 6:30–31). “Give us a sign, and we’ll believe,” they insisted. Well, did He give them a sign? They had several signs of the Messiah, and did they believe? Jesus, the Messiah, did indeed give people many messianic signs. And yet, they did not believe. They did not believe because the whole world becomes steeped in unbelief (Jn. 16:9). In John’s Gospel, sin is unbelief. Repentance is to turn from unbelief about the Messiah to believing in the Messiah.

John’s point is that people’s unbelief was their own fault. The problem was not that God, through Jesus, failed to provide tangible evidence that he was real. No, the problem was that people asked for signs. When Jesus gave them a sign, they did not like the one He gave them. So, they kept asking for more. He fed the multitudes. He healed the sick. He even opened the eyes of the man born blind. For His encore, He raised a dead man whose body had been in the tomb for four days.

I recommend you read Dr. Köstenberger’s Signs of the Messiah: An Introduction to John’s Gospel. Have this book beside you as you read through John's Gospel. The book can serve as a companion illuminating John's core message. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that you might believe and have eternal life. Signs of the Messiah in John’s Gospel make it come alive.

1 Chronicles 29:1-22 is about giving your best gifts. Gifts are never coerced. Gifts are given to people you care about and love. The Temple was the love of the people of Israel. It became their heartbeat. Kill the temple and the people die. Therefore, they gave lavishly to the temple with gold, silver, and precious stones matching the gifts of Giving your best gifts was the example of David, the king in 1 Chronicles 29:1-22. There was rejoicing and there was consecration of wealth and life to God and His Temple. 1 Chronicles 29:1–9 is David's address to his people. It is a continuation of the address in 28:1–10; Yet it takes up a different theme. Though it begins with a description of all the wealth and material amassed by David, it turns to the people. Verse 5a and verses 6-9 is about the people's contribution exceeding David.

The weights of precious stones, gold and silver are staggering and exaggerations. Giving your best gifts and most expensive gifts beyond David exaggerate on purpose. Verse one states the reason. The Temple is not made for mortals but for God.

This is also the reason that David undertakes this massive fundraising efforts. It is about giving your best gifts: because it is a task too large for the “young and inexperienced” Solomon. No half measures will be acceptable. No failures due to errors of judgment become tolerated.

Two verbs stand out in this presentation, one at the end of David’s speech and the other at the end of the people’s offering. David asks in verse 5 for those willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord. The Temple requires the greatest effort. on king and people. David's speech challenges people of giving their best gifts to the max. Failure to commit with the whole heart becomes suicide of the whole person. The Temple was the life-blood of the people. The Temple dies, then the people die. People consecrate their wealth toward building the Temple because it is there life. People give their wealth to keep the Temple alive so they can live.

In truth, what other response is appropriate to the powerful result of consecrated commitment? Giving your best gifts is the key.

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Many fail seeing the significance of the word "plan" in a biblical text. 2 Chronicles 28:11-21 mentions "the plan" four times. Its Hebrew word "tabnet" and its root "taknet" is found only two other places. One is Exodus 25:9, 40, and Ezekiel 40:1-4 and 43:10-11. Alluding to Exodus and Ezekiel, the writer of the Book of Chronicles conveys a deeper meaning than building a temple by the plan. He signifies David the Messianic fulfillment of the prophets Moses and Ezekiel. There is more to it. The cherubim, the flying chariot, the mercy seat, the showbread, and the lamp and lampstand attest to Eden. All the contents of the the temple in 2 Chronicles 28:11-21 telegraph to Eden.

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Helping people learn to make right moral choices based upon God and His Word as the absolute standard of right and wrong. Josh helps them discover what standards of behavior are right for all people, for all times, for all places. This message can play a vital role in strengthening the moral foundations of listeners and congregations!

Josh McDowell has been at the forefront of cultural trends and groundbreaking ministry for more than 58 years. He shares the essentials of Christian faith in everyday language so that people of all ages and stages know Christ, understand what they believe and why it is true, and learn how to live, share, and defend the faith.

Well-known as an articulate speaker, Josh has spoken to approximately 25.2 million people in 126 countries. Josh has written or co-authored 151 books with some translated in 128 languages. These include "More Than a Carpenter" with over 27 million copies distributred. He also authored "Evidence that Demands a Verdict," named by World Magazine as one of the twentieth century's top 40 books and one of the thirteen most influential books on Christian thought of the last 50 years. "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" also won the 2018 Evangelical Christian Publisher's Association award in the Bible Reference Book category.

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The identification of this rock has been debated for a very long time. The area’s geography is the key to understanding the passage. Eventually, this place became known as “Pan’s Grotto.” The god Pan was represented with horns, a goat’s beard, a crooked nose, pointed ears and tail and goat’s feet. It is why the early church described the devil in those ways. Peter's confession at the rock of Caesarea Philippi and the transfiguration that follows are matters of spirtual warfare. Mount of Transfiguration is the place where Jesus appeared in splendor to three of His disciples (Mt. 17:2; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 9:28). Both Matthew (17:1) and Mark (9:2) call it “a high mountain.” Luke (9:28) refers to it as “the mountain,” as though it was so familiar that it required no further identification.

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Michael S. Heiser presents the theology of the unseen realm. The unseen realm connects all the dots between the Old and New Testaments. The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 links to Luke 10. Deuteronomy 32:8-9 links to Acts 2:2, 7. The gates of hell at Ceasarea Philippi conects to the land of Bashan in Psalm 22 and Amos 4:1-4. The supernaual realm surrounds us, yet we bind ourselves to its reality. Dr. Heiser's unseen realm world view gives us what Jesus truly was fighting and what our fight is today.

Spiritual warfare surrounds us. We, the Church, are to go on the offensive and not take the wiles of the Devil. We have the winning hand agains the forces of evil. Jesus understand are fight was not to stand back and wait for the Devil to wage his skirmish with us. He demanded we take the fight to hell itself.

Dr. Heiser writes, "I understand that a lot of well-meaning Bible students, pastors, and professors don’t look at how they approach the Bible that way. I know I didn’t. But it’s what happens. We view the Bible through the lens of what we know and what’s familiar. Psalm 82 broke my filter. More importantly, it alerted me to the fact that I’d been using one. Our traditions, however honorable, are not intrinsic to the Bible. They are systems we invent to organize the Bible. They are artificial. They are filters.

Once I’d been awakened to this, it struck me as faithless to use a filter. But throwing away my filters cost me the systems with which I’d ordered Scripture and doctrine in my mind. I was left with lots of fragments. It didn’t feel like it at the time, but that was the best thing that could have happened. It opened up a whole new world of the unseen realm.

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What is in a Name? The God of Israel could be referred to by a number of names, titles, and epithets in the text of the Hebrew Bible. These are significant as indicators of developments in the course of Israel’s religious history and as expressions of concepts of the divine held by the ancient Israelites. In particular, God’s name, which in some traditions is specifically revealed, can become a separate aspect of →God, in such a way as to represent God as a virtual hypostasis. It is not as developed a hypostasis in the OT as is God’s word or God’s wisdom (→Wisdom) or even God’s spirit (RINGGREN 1947), but it is more significant than the role of God’s arm (e.g. Isa 51:9).

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