Wednesday, December 31, 2025
How Well do you Know Biblical History? A recap
How Well do you Know Biblical History? A recap (Part one of two)
How Well do you Know Biblical History? A recap (Part two of two)
Helpful Information to Know About Bible Translations
Translations & Types of the Bible
For a fuller list of information, you can go to
Bible Translations, is there a "perfect one" that I should read? Like many others, I often get asked which Bible translation is the best, or why I preach out of the translation I do (usually NIV). I also have been reprimanded by individuals from time to time when I guest speak at churches for not using "the right translation". It is a great study and will remain a good topic as long as this area grows.
Bible teachers and preachers like to use different translations for different purposes. When I am teaching or preaching I usually use the NIV because it is a good mixture of "word for word" and "thought for thought" but it does have its issues and they frequently change different aspects. I have found it is what most people "in the pew" are using. However, when I am preparing for a sermon/class I try to compare translations. This is very easily done ONLINE now. (If I'm preaching from the New Testament I usually consort a Greek Interlinear Bible, KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT, NCV, and the NIV.) In some cases, the NIV misses the mark and I will opt for a different translation for a particular text.
There has been a good article written on this topic. I thought you all might find this interesting.
5 Things You Need to Know About Bible Translations
As the article states, all translations have their strengths and weaknesses. So, I thought you all might like to read this article. He makes some good points.
#translations
What is the BEST Bible Translation? Translations Explained!
Discussing Bible translations is a VERY DANGEROUS topic. There are a lot of opinions and emotions around which ones are the BEST. However, understanding how and why each translation was created allows for us to choose the best translation for each of the different ways we use our Bible's.
Bible Translations with Kevin Burr with Wes McAdams - Radically Christian
Many people have asked, “What is the best translation of the Bible?” Some wonder if there are unreliable versions of the Bible that should be avoided. There are also questions swirling around about whether or not modern translations remove verses from the Bible. This episode of The Bible Study Podcast explores how translations work and how to be a better Bible student by understanding translation philosophy.
Wes McAdams and guest Kevin Burr, a Greek and New Testament professor at Harding University, discuss the differences between word-for-word and thought-for-thought translations. They emphasize that no single translation is "the best," but rather that each has strengths and weaknesses. They also explain why some translations exclude certain verses based on older, more reliable manuscripts. The conversation highlights how language changes over time, making updated translations necessary for clarity and accuracy.
Kevin Burr teaches Greek and New Testament at Harding University and previously served as a discipleship minister at King’s Crossing Church of Christ in Corpus Christi, Texas. He has nearly a decade of congregational ministry experience and now equips future ministers in biblical studies.
Resources Mentioned:
Logos Bible Study Software (logos.com/radicallychristian)
From the KJV to the NIV by Jack P. Lewis
Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible by Michael Bird
Malachi
Malachi 2:1-9 — When Prophets Confront Priests
Malachi 2:10-16 – “Faithlessness” Subverts “Oneness”
Malachi 3:6-12 — “I am Yahweh! Trust Me”
Malachi 4:1-6 — A Day is Coming
Is it Futile to Serve God?: God Loves His People
Malachi 1:1-5
November 10, 2024 = A sermon by Preaching Minister Randy Johns on Malachi (1:1-5)
This is part 1 of a 6-part series.
Is it Futile to Serve God?: Worship That Dishonors God
Malachi 1:6-2:9
November 17, 2024 = A sermon by Preaching Minister Randy Johns on Malachi (1:6-2:9)
This is part 2 of a 6-part series.
Is it Futile to Serve God?: An Oracle About Marriage
Malachi 2:10-16
November 24, 2024 = A sermon by Preaching Minister Randy Johns on Malachi (2:10-16)
This is part 3 of a 6-part series.
Is it Futile to Serve God?: The God of Justice
Malachi 2:17-3:5
https://youtu.be/xmK1v_6gYGE
December 1, 2024 = A sermon by Preaching Minister Randy Johns on Malachi (2:17-3:5)
This is part 4 of a 6-part series.
=====
Is it Futile to Serve God?: Robbing God
Malachi 3:6-12
December 8, 2024 = A sermon by Preaching Minister Randy Johns on Malachi (3:6-12)
This is part 5 of a 6-part series.
Is it Futile to Serve God?
Malachi 3:13-4:6
December 15, 2024 = A sermon by Preaching Minister Randy Johns on Malachi (3:13-4:6)
This is part 6 of a 6-part series.
Nehemiah Introduction
Nehemiah Introduction
God wants to live with us. We see this truth in Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah are two books that tell one story—the story of Israel coming home. Israel had been exiled from their land and removed from God's presence in the temple because of their sins. But in Ezra and Nehemiah, God is bringing a remnant back. Ultimately, though, God's presence does not return to the temple the way Israel thought he would. Instead, the books end on a low note of failure and more exile. But the good news is that Jesus has done what Ezra and Nehemiah couldn't. He brings us back home to God and makes a way for us to live in his presence.
Introductions
TOTC (83) –
More than half this book is a personal record, punctuated with
‘asides’ and frank comments which make it (in such parts)
one of the liveliest pieces of writing in the Bible. Much of Ezra’s
story was also told in the first person (Ezra 8:15-9:15), but Ezra
was a quieter personality than the formidable, practical Nehemiah; he
does not leap out of the page as this man does.
The main action is
crowded into the spring and summer of the year 445 BC, in which time
Nehemiah not only made the journey from near the Persian Gulf to
Jerusalem, but restored the city’s walls and gates, and began
to see to its defense. All this he recounts himself.
IBCTP (63-64)
– Theologically speaking, it is important to realize that the
bulk of the passage records Nehemiah’s second response to the
devastating news from Jerusalem. Following a period of grief (1:4,
cf. Ezra 9:3-5), his initial response, Nehemiah demonstrates his
faith by turning to the fount of his resources in prayer. While the
form of the prayer itself is unparalleled in scripture – it
lacks, for instance, the complaint so characteristic of the community
laments with which it is sometimes compared … – it falls
easily into a simple structure:
A –
Invocation (5-6a)
B –
Confession: Israel’s sin (6b-7)
X – Appeal
to covenantal promise of return (8-9)
B’ –
Confession: God’s redemption (10)
A’ –
Invocation with supplication (11a)
The
prayer begins and ends with an invocation similar to that found in
Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:29,
52; II Chron. 6:40), “let your ear be attentive … to
hear the prayer of your servant” (6a, 11a). Two confessions,
one negative, regarding Israel’s sin (B) and one positive,
regarding God’s redemption (B’), frame the heart of the
prayer (X). This centerpiece consists of Nehemiah’s appeal to
God to remember the covenantal promise of return on the basis of
Deuteronomy 30:1-5. The strengthened particle of entreaty with the
vocative, “O Lord” (5, 11a), provide an inclusion for the
entire prayer.
Nehemiah 1:1-11
Prayer
Nehemiah
1:1-11a
Prayer (1:1-11a)
Text
Notes, Applications,
and Questions
Main Idea
Nehemiah prayed after receiving bad news about Jerusalem and the Temple. What can we learn and apply to our lives from this example of effective prayer?
Prayer (1:1-11a)
Nehemiah (1) – The name Nehemiah means, “the
Lord has comforted.” The same root occurs in the name of
Nahum the prophet and in the famous phrase from Isaiah 40:1,
“Comfort, comfort my people.” (CP, 136)
Twentieth year (1) – The custom of the time was to date
all events from the beginning of the rule of the present king; each
king’s rule would begin with the year one. Comparing this with
Ezra 7: 1,8, and assuming that the Artaxerxes is the same person in
each case, we can determine that the events of the book of Nehemiah
begin thirteen years after Ezra’s start for Jerusalem, or
twelve years after the conclusion of Ezra’s book, i.e., 445
B.C. (SBC)
-
It seems peculiar that the name of the king is not mentioned here. It may have appeared in the sources the editor was using, but for the sake of brevity and because this section follows immediately after that in Ezra in which Artaxerxes had been identified as the ruler in his seventh year (7:8), he chose not to name him here. Artaxerxes I was clearly the king under whom Nehemiah served. His twentieth year was 445 B.C. (CP, 137)
Citadel of Susa (1) – Susa was the city in Elam, 200
miles east of Babylon, where the Persian kings maintained a
residence, and from which they ruled their kingdom for a part of each
year. (SBC)
-
Nehemiah apparently knew nothing about how things were back in Judah. Susa was one of the most important capitals of the Persian Empire; it lies to the west of Persia proper, and thus not so far from Babylon. The obvious way to read this story is to assume that the king is still Artaxerxes I, and that the year is the twentieth of his reign (445). The date is thus a century after the time when Cyrus first encouraged Judahites to move from Babylon to rebuild the temple, and half-way through the life-time of the Persian Empire, which Alexander brought to an end in the 330s. Thirteen years have passed since Ezra’s mission, but it has been maintained that one or both actually belong later, in the reign of Artaxerxes II. (OTE, 80)
Hanani (2) – [He] was probably Nehemiah’s own
brother: cf. 7:2. From the emphasis which is made in the
sentence, it would appear that the visitors from Judah had not
searched Nehemiah out with a grievance, but that Nehemiah had
initiated the inquiry concerning his fellow-Jews who had “escaped,”
i.e. returned to their homeland, and concerning affairs at Jerusalem.
(SBC)
I questioned them (2) – Something of Nehemiah’s
character already begins to appear here with his concern for the
condition of others of “the household of faith.” (CP,
138)
Remnant … survived (2) – Nehemiah’s choice
of words, echoed by his brother, may have been a conscious allusion
to the promise of a ‘remnant’ and ‘survivors’,
who would not merely escape destruction but ‘lean upon the Lord
… in truth’ (Isa. 10:20-22). (TOTC, 85)
-
The description of the community as “the group of survivors that was left from the exile” could recognize that it included both people who had returned from exile in Babylon but had survived the exile in Judah itself and identified with the community headed up by people who had moved from Babylon over the previous century. But the expression indicates that the community was still in a weak and reduced state. It is only a group of survivors. The point is underscored by the further description of it as in great trouble and disgrace. (OTE, 81)
Trouble and disgrace (3) – Their report in verse 3
indicates both physical and mental distress, arising out of the
condition of the city’s walls and gates. The breaking down of
the wall (chiefly of stone) and the burning of the gate (chiefly of
timbers) had been done by Nebuchadnezzar, 141 years earlier. Some
suppose that this is a reference to more recent events of which
Nehemiah would not have been aware before this, and that therefore,
the walls and gates had been partially restored after the Captivity.
The Bible makes no mention of previous reconstruction of the walls,
except in the false report of Israel’s enemies in Ezra 4:12.
If there had been any repairs, they surely could not have been very
extensive. (SBC)
Wall of Jerusalem (3) – Without walls the city would
have no defense against vandalism or military action, except what
they could supply with watchful human bodies. They would be
especially vulnerable to the Samaritans, their nearest, neighbors.
(SBC)
-
The reply would be badly misunderstood if we just took it to speak of the ruins left by Nebuchadrezzar. That was ancient history (587 BC), but this was news and a shattering blow. Its most likely background is the sequence in Ezra 4:7-23, in which a bid to rebuild the walls had been reported to king Artaxerxes and promptly crushed ‘by force and power’. It was an ominous development, for the ring of hostile neighbors round Jerusalem could now claim royal backing. The patronage which Ezra had enjoyed (cf. Ezra 7:21-26) was suddenly in ruins, as completely as the city walls and gates. Jerusalem was not only disarmed but on its own. (TOTC, 85; cf. CP, 139)
-
A city has walls and gates for its protection; even Susa is a fortress city. In the twenty-first century, Jerusalem’s impressive walls and gates are simply an impressive tourist attraction, but in the fifth century they would potentially be a matter of life and death. And they are broken down and burned. While it is possible that Hanani is simply reporting that the city is still in the state it has been since its destruction by the Babylonians, the devastating effect of the news on Nehemiah rather suggest that some other disaster has happened more recently and that this is when news of it reached Susa; Hanani is referring not merely to the long-lasting trouble and disgrace. We have no other record of such an event, but it would fit with the account of troubled relations in the region, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Judahites were better at building a temple and sorting out inter-marriage problems than at fighting off a siege. (OTE, 81)
Prayed (4) – This prayer by Nehemiah is as noble as that
of Ezra (9:6-15), though Ezra was a religious official and Nehemiah
was a secular ruler. This speaks well of Nehemiah’s habits of
spirituality and fellowship with God: his practice of the ceremonies
of religion. (SBC)
-
He prays as someone who is himself committed to what he prays about and he prays urgently to get God to take action that only God can take; further he recognizes the failure of the people on whose behalf he prays. His reaction to the news from Jerusalem reminds us of Ezra’s reaction to the news about the marriages, though it is expressed in different terms. Nehemiah sits (in shock like Ezra?) and weeps mourns like a person grieving over someone’s death. (OTE, 82-83)
-
Nehemiah’s response to the report reflects his spiritual sensitivity and compassion. (CP, 139)
-
One of the most striking characteristics of Nehemiah was his recourse to prayer (cf. 4:4,9; 5:19; 6:9,14; 13:14). Those who are the boldest for God have the greatest need to be in prayer. (LCS, 72)
Lord, the God of heaven (5) – The prayer begins in
verse 5 with praise to God for His (1) greatness and (2)
character of loving kindness. So Jesus began His model prayer with
praise: a good model for us today. (SBC)
-
Nehemiah’s prayer begins with two forms of confession… First there is confession of who God is; that is a common feature of prayer in the Bible. It is the foundation for all that follows. We pray because God is the God who has invited us to call him by name, the name Yahweh, but the God who is not merely someone in a personal relationship with us but is the all-powerful Lord (the God of the heavens). To put the same two points the other way around, this God is great and awe-inspiring, yet also one who keeps covenant and commitment, one who can be relied on to be faithful to words and undertakings. … Nehemiah knows he needs to recognize that you can only appeal to these qualities if you are people who dedicate themselves to God (the verb is the one conventionally translated “love,” but it signifies a self-giving loyalty, not merely an emotion) and who keeps God’s commands. … It is possible that God may keep a covenant and commitment even though the other party in the relationship does not do so. But we would be unwise to presume this, like a husband who is unfaithful to his wife who assumes that everything will be okay if he expresses regret. (OTE, 83)
-
The opening verses of invocation are important for their emphasis upon the power of God, especially as Nehemiah here uses the title “God of heaven,” which became increasingly more common in postexilic piety (e.g. Jonah 1:9; Dan. 2:37-44). A clue to the interpretation of the entire prayer is also hinted at in the invocation. Whereas the delegation from Jerusalem contented itself with the reporting of the city’s reproach in the eyes of jealous neighbors, Nehemiah discerns the true source of the problem: Israel’s failure with regard to the covenant. His invocation of the God “who keeps covenant and steadfast love” (1:5) displays a keen insight into the reason for Jerusalem’s reproach as well as the relationship of God to the sorry condition of the city. (IBCTP, 64)
Covenant of love (5) – The covenant does not set up a
business transaction between two parties. In its essence, the
covenant establishes a relationship. More importantly, the covenant
does not dispense with the need for mercy, indeed the covenant itself
grows out of God’s mercy, grace, and steadfast love. Covenant
and mercy go hand in hand, and our need of mercy is in no way
obviated by a contractual arrangement. Nehemiah’s confession is
an appeal to God’s mercy. (IBCTP, 65)
-
The relationship between God and His people, the Jews. The whole history of Israel was the history of the covenant. It was not an agreement between equals but the gracious gift of a Sovereign to His subjects. Its main content was God’s promises to multiply Israel, to give the people the land of Canaan, to protect them, and to make them an example to the nations of God’s goodness. In return, the Jews were to fear, love, serve, and obey God alone. (LCS, 72)
Those who love him (5) – [Love] is the attitude expected
of covenanting parties toward one another. On God’s side, it
meant unfailing loyalty: constant provision of needs, protection from
danger, and restoration of the nation once the people had repented
from disobedience. It included forgiveness and mercy, for its essence
was God’s bending to love His creatures, even the unrepentant.
The people’s response was to be “covenant love”
toward God and each other. (LCS, 72-73)
Your ear… your eyes (6) – Nehemiah’s
request that God will heed his prayer reminds us of Solomon’s
petition (1 Kgs 8:52). God is not human with ears and eyes, but we
have no other means of addressing him but with human language. Prayer
can degenerate into vain repetitions, but Nehemiah’s consistent
and persistent prayers have poured forth from a burdened heart. In
the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus taught that persevering
prayer is effective (Matt. 18:1-8). (CP, 141)
Your servant (6) – The mention of “thy servant’’
and “thy servants” was the formula of polite address.
(SBC)
-
Nehemiah goes on to appeal to the fact that he is God’s servant. He has applied the term “God’s servants” to his people, the people who failed and did damage, but evidently that was a kind of honorary description. They had not been behaving like servants. But when he calls himself God’s servant, he means he really is committed to his master. The point is made explicit by his going on to refer to servants who revere God’s name – in other words, people who know who God is and who behave accordingly. Revering God implies doing what God says. … Nehemiah want God to note the commitment of servants like himself and Hanani, and even to take more account of the latter than the former. On their behalf he is prepared to say, “I am willing to do whatever you ask to make up for the offense we caused you – tell me what it is.” He thereby puts himself in the position of being the unconditional servant of the master. (OTE, 85)
I confess (6) – The remembrance of God’s covenant,
in verse 5, has raised the matter of the partner’s response (to
‘love him and keep his commandments’, 5c). This
inevitably leads to heart-searching and confession, in which
Nehemiah, faced with such a standard, owns to personal (6c) as well
as corporate guilt. He will have to come empty-handed with his
request. (TOTC, 85)
-
This insight [(Israel’s failure with the covenant)] moves Nehemiah to confess the sin of his people. In the tradition of past mediators (Moses, Exod. 34:9; Isaiah, Isa. 6:5; Ezra, Ezra 9; cf. Daniel, Dan. 9:3-19), Nehemiah confesses his own involvement in the sin of the people, thus identifying with their condition and situation (1:6). The exile proved to be an effective if harsh lesson for the people of God. Jeremiah’s understanding of the captivity as a manifestation of God’s chastisement was met with beatings and imprisonment (Jeremiah 18-20), but now the exiles were fully convinced of the truth of his warnings. (IBCTP, 64)
-
Nehemiah … simply acknowledges there guilt. This aspect of the confession is quite different from Ezra’s earlier confession (Ezra 9:6-15). There, though Ezra begins with an acknowledgement of the people’s sin as the reason for the exile (v. 7), he quickly moves to the confession of a specific sin that he did not share, that of intermarriage. Nehemiah seems to be more concerned with the sinful condition of his people that with the symptomatic outcroppings. This sinful condition he confesses simply and succinctly as sins “against you.” (IBCTP, 64-65)
Including myself (6) – As he knows he has to identify
with his people’s waywardness in order to make confession of
it, he know that the present generation of his people has to identify
with their forebears’ waywardness and make confession of it.
There is no pretending that the sins of one generation are not
visited on the next generation. (OTE, 84)
Acted very wickedly (7) – [In the commentary author’s
translation he uses “damage.”] This word [damage] is also
repeated [in the original language] to underscore the point –
more literally, “with damage we acted damagingly.” It is
the word used in Ezra to refer to damaging the temple. It is as if
people were seeking to damage God or damage God’s interests
when they failed to do what God said, as if they were seeking to
attack God. Yet Nehemiah also knows that the same Torah that warned
of the consequences of willful failure also promised that
chastisement need not be the end. (OTE, 84)
Remember the instruction … (8-10) – He is
empty-handed, but not uninvited. He knows the threats and promises of
Scripture well enough to make a strong, not tentative plea. …
Most significantly inverse 10 he quotes the words which Moses had
pleaded for Israel on mount Sinai (Deut. 9:29), that God would stand
by his own (thy servants and thy people) and by the work he
had so strenuously begun. At that point Israel had been threatened
with extinction; now, it seems, Nehemiah sees the situation as hardly
less perilous. Like Moses, he must stand in the breach with his
intercession. (TOTC, 86)
-
The heart of the prayer is also its turning point (vv. 8-9). Nehemiah reminds God that the lesson has been learned; the exiles have been scattered among the peoples for their unfaithfulness. This is to be seen as a testimony to God’s power and control of history. Israel is in God’s hands, not subject to the capricious machinations of human despots. Therefore, God’s judgment upon Israel’s sin, related in the summary of Deuteronomy 30:1-5 in Nehemiah 1:8, has been carried out. But as the positive confession of verse 10 intimates (“your servants”) and verse 11a declares (“your servants who delight in revering your name”), the signs of repentance are present as well, and so Nehemiah appeals to God to remember the promise of return also contained in Deuteronomy 30:1-5 (1:9). (IBCTP, 65)
If you are unfaithful … (8-9) – Nehemiah’s
prayer at this point is … a composite of several Scriptures:
1)
If you are unfaithful I will scatter you: Lev. 26:33.
2)
But if you return to me: Dt. 30:2f.
3)
I will gather them from there and will bring them: Dt. 30:4;
4)
to the place where I have chosen to cause my name to dwell: Dt. 12:5.
(SBC)
-
It is best to see the prayer to this point as a summary of Nehemiah’s struggles with God over the four-month gap between his conversation with the delegation from Jerusalem and his audience with Artaxerxes. (IBCTP, 65)
Dwelling for my Name (9) – This expression implies the
Divine Presence dwelling with the restored community. It is precisely
that, according to Nehemiah, which the currently prevailing
conditions show lie in the future. In Ezekiel’s vision, the
glory of the Lord departed from the Jerusalem temple (11:22-24) and
the Sovereign Lord promised, “Although I sent them far away
among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a
little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where
they have gone” (11:16). This suggests that the divine glory is
present among the exiles in Babylon. The unanswered question is, “Did
the divine glory return to the rebuilt Jerusalem temple?” (CP,
142)
This man (11) – The expression this man does not
belittle the king. It does recognize that the monarch was a human
being with whom Nehemiah had to deal. Only God could establish the
environment in which Nehemiah could find favor before the king. (CP,
143)
Cupbearer (11) – The duty of a cupbearer went far beyond
that of serving the king’s drink or food. He would be the
taster who would assure that the food was safe and that no poison had
been added by his enemies; he risked his life on the king’s
popularity or unpopularity at every meal, to protect the royal
household. At the same time, he must be the most trusted person in
the whole empire. If he added poison when the food had been brought
to him, it would be beyond the last defense short of the king’s
palate. In addition, he had access to the entire palace, including
the king’s harem; no one else in the kingdom, outside the royal
family, would be trusted farther than this. His position was next to
that of the crown prince himself.
It is a credit to Nehemiah that, having attained this highest
position open to him in the most powerful kingdom of his day, he was
willing, like Moses, out of compassion for his brethren to make
himself one of them for a sufficient length of time to improve their
condition as far as he was able. (SBC)
-
The cupbearer (the same word as the ‘butler’ of the Joseph story, Gen. 402ff.) was a high official in the royal household, whose basic duty of choosing and tasting the wine to demonstrate that it was not poisoned, and of presenting it to the king, gave him frequent access to the king’s presence and made him potentially a man of influence. (TOTC, 86)
Prayer and Action –
Nehemiah 1 is a blend of prayer and action. All who lead must place a
high priority on prayer. Why is prayer so important? Here are the
four shortest reasons I know.
Prayer makes me wait. I
cannot pray and act at the same time. I have to wait to act until I
finish praying. Prayer forces me to leave the situation with God; it
makes me wait.
Prayer clears my vision. Southern California often has an
overhanging weather problem in the mornings because of its coastal
location until the sun “burns through” the morning fog.
Prayer does that. When you first face a situation, is it foggy?
Prayer will “burn through.” Your vision will clear so you
can see through God’s eyes.
Prayer quiets my heart. I cannot worry and pray at the same
time. I am doing one or the other. Prayer makes me quiet. It replaces
anxiety with a calm spirit. Knees don’t knock when we kneel on
them!
Prayer activates my faith. After praying I am more prone to
trust God. And how petty and negative and critical I am when I don’t
pray! Prayer sets faith on fire.
Don’t just fill the margins of your Bible with words and
thoughts about ways a leader prays. Do it! Don’t just stop with
just a sterile theology of prayer. Pray! Prayer was the first major
step Nehemiah took in his journey to effective leadership.
The Lord is the Specialist we need for those uncrossable and
impossible experiences. He delights in accomplishing what we cannot
pull off. But He awaits our cry. He listens for our request. Nehemiah
was quick to call for help. His favorite position when faced with
problems was the kneeling position. (LL, 64, quoting Charles Swindoll
from Hand Me Another Brick)
Additional
Questions:1
-
What were the conditions in Jerusalem at this time? How does this correspond to what we learned in Ezra?
-
In 1:4, what can we learn about Nehemiah (his character, values, and so on) from his reaction to this news?
-
What elements in Nehemiah’s prayer might you find useful as a model for your own prayer life?
-
Why do you think Nehemiah made this confession of sin in verses 6 and 7?
-
What does Nehemiah’s prayer reveal to you about his faith?
-
Why do you think Nehemiah asked God to remember His promises (see 1:8-10)?
-
Think about the lessons from Nehemiah’s life that can be found in chapter 1. What kinds of insights and principles can you discover that apply to believers today?
-
Think of a person whom you consider to be a prayer warrior. How has that person’s life been an example to you?
-
What was Nehemiah’s response when faced with a seemingly hopeless predicament?
-
What does Nehemiah’s prayer reveal about his view of himself and of God?
-
How do you think prayer prepared Nehemiah to lead his people?
-
If God knows all of our fears, desires, and needs, why does he want us to pray about them?
-
In what ways can prayer change a person’s attitude towards life’s difficulties?
Zechariah 8-14
Zechariah 14:16-21 – Everything is “Holy to the Lord”
http://johnmarkhicks.com/2012/05/18/zechariah-1416-21-everything-is-holy-to-the-lord/
http://johnmarkhicks.com/2012/05/18/zechariah-1416-21-everything-is-holy-to-the-lord/
What Happened from Malachi to Matthew?
What Happened from Malachi to Matthew?
Historical View of the Intertestamental Period
October 5, 2022 - What Happened from Malachi to Matthew? by Joe Kelsey (1 of 4)
https://youtu.be/kxTHJnSl07A
October 12, 2022 - What Happened from Malachi to Matthew? by Joe Kelsey (2 of 4)
October 19, 2022 - What Happened from Malachi to Matthew? by Joe Kelsey (3 of 4)
October 26, 2022 - What Happened from Malachi to Matthew? by Joe Kelsey (4 of 4)
Revelation 20:1-15 The Thousand Years = Week 52 - Tuesday
The Thousand Years
Revelation 20:1-15
Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying we must ask the following questions:
- What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations and notice the words that standout)
#Time =
#Place = #Obedient faith =
#Sin =
#Key Idea =
Biblegateway (NIV) (My choice of all-round site. It is a great app, better on computers or on a smartphone)
StepBible (ESV) (Great on phone or computer with good resources.)
Literal Word (New American Standard Bible) (Works well on a smartphone or computer + for searching for words like a printed concordance)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer especially if you have a logos account)
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
Themes
God's Sovereignty
The Battle between Good and Evil
Resurrection and Judgment
The Millennial Reign
The Final Defeat of Satan
Topics
The Thousand-Year Reign
Satan's Imprisonment and Release
The First and Second Resurrections
The Great White Throne Judgment
The Lake of Fire
Hashtags:
#HashtagsPotential Sermon Titles: ??
Intro Questions to get us thinking:
ESV Text with Highlights
#God =
#People =
#People =
- Satan
- Angel from Heaven
- Souls of the Martyrs
- Beast
- False Prophet
- Death
- Hades
#Place =
- Heaven
- Abyss (Bottomless Pit)
- Earth
- Throne of God (Great White Throne)
#Sin =
#Key Idea =
Revelation 20 ESV
The Thousand Years
1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pita and a great chain. 2And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
4Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
The Defeat of Satan
7And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heavenb and consumed them, 10and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
OBSERVATIONS (Reflect on the topic and build the concept the writer is trying to communicate to the original audience)
ebible (NLT) (Best for having Bible sections divided by "pericope" or sections by thought)
Bible Project (NLT) (Helpful videos and instructions for the bigger picture)
Thematic Bible (Books and Chapters Structure)
Bible Hub = Outline, Themes, Topics, People, Locations, and Questions
This chapter emphasizes God's sovereignty, the ultimate defeat of evil, and the final judgment of all people. It serves as a reminder of Christ's victory and the eternal consequences of one's relationship with God.
STUDY RESOURCES (This takes some work and here are more resources than you can go through completely)
Rhys N. Thomas @ Thomas Theology Hub has written a Commentary on Revelation.
NETBible (New English Translation) (Great for original text/manuscript information)
BlueLetter (King James Version) (A variety of resources and good on Phones / better on Computers)
BibleHub (HCSB) (Good on computer or app/phone with lots of well-organized information.)
BibleHub (BSB) (Good on computer or app/phone with lots of well-organized information.)
BibleRef.com (New King James Version) Basic able to compare core translations.
StudyLight (Amplified Bible) (Great site with commentaries by Burton Coffman)
KnowingJesus (Phone / Computer and great for comparing translations)
Bible.com (Lexham English Bible) App is best on a mobile device.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
APPLICATION (God wants us all to arrive at action, life-changing faith)
ESV (English Standard Version) Good translation with some helpful resources.
Biblegateway (Christian Standard Bible) has some application resources.
The Message (MSG) (An easy-to-read paraphrase that helps some with application)
Heartlight (Great for practical application of scripture)
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What transformative move needs to be made?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?
PRAYER: We praise You for Your amazing grace, which has been given to us through Christ Jesus. In the Name of Jesus.
Other Resources:
- Other YouTube Videos
- Audio Recordings
Revelation 20 - https://app.throughtheword.org/
Articles
Devotions
- Links
Please let me know if you find any broken links or corrections that need to be made. Thank you for the help to make this most useful.
The Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John
Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John
The Gospels talk about the "Good News." It is at the Heart of getting to know God and His plans. I have dedicated another blog to the Life of Christ at https://magnifyjesus.blogspot.com/
The blog organizes Christ's life into one harmonious list in chronological order. My blog is titled "Magnify Jesus."
For the specific books about Christ's life, click on the links below:
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