REVERENT AND REBELLIOUS

After our exhaustive trek through Revelation, we decided to take a little side trip through the makeup and construction of this book we know as the Bible. How did it come together? Who decided which books to include, and which ones to set aside? We begin with this most important question. Why are there so many different English translations? Shouldn't one be enough? And because there are so ma...

We finally made it! Today, we look at - and celebrate - the last pages - the final scene of the whole Bible! What we find is - the end is just like the beginning. It's a new Eden - an eternal paradise! Earth has been re-created - returned to its original state of perfection, and has been rejoined with the heavenly realm, so that the presence of God permeates the atmosphere and saturates every...

The battles have been fought - the outcomes have been decided. It's final - it's over! Judgment has taken place - and it's final! Death has been put to death, and all evil has been thrown into the lake of fire that burns eternally! What does John see next? I saw a new heaven and a new earth - for the 1st heaven and the 1st earth passed away! Then - the holy city - New Jerusalem - is co...

We've done a lot of heavy lifting in our journey through this apocalyptic masterpiece - and today we go for all the marbles! We are tackling the most challenging and controversial topic in all of end times theology! It all has to do with a thousand years! The millennium, they call it. Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years. Thrones are set up - and those who had not taken the...

We're finally here! It's the final showdown - for all the marbles! The dragon - the beasts - the kings of the earth, and their forces - are all gathered in this iconic place. Armageddon - or in Hebrew - Har-Magedon. It's that place we all know about - Megiddo! That's where it's all going to play out! Or is it? Is this wide spot in the desert really where the cosmic battle takes...

In this episode, we dive headfirst into the most iconic chapter of Revelation - chapter 19. There is so much packed in here that we decided to divide it into two parts. This is Pt. 1 - vs. 1-10. It begins with another heavenly worship scene around the throne. This time, all of the heavenly host sings Hallelujah! It's a celebration of the mighty acts of God - bringing down Babylon! Then comes t...

It's done - over - finished! Babylon, the great city, and all who conspire with her to oppress and exploit God's good creation - they're all coming down! In the first movement, we see the funeral. Another angel comes down from heaven. He cries out with a mighty voice! Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! All the nations have drunk her wine - participated in her immorality - been in bed...

In this episode, we see John stepping out of time and experiencing a vision within a vision. He is carried away in the Spirit and shown an image that is so shocking, grotesque, and horrifying that he can't turn away! It's a woman - sitting on a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names, having 7 heads and 10 horns! She is drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses of Jesus.. The an...

The heavenly signal is given - and the 7 angels waste no time pouring out their bowls of the wrath of God in rapid succession! The 1st - loathsome and malignant sores upon those who worship the beast and have taken his mark. 2nd - the sea turns to blood! 3rd - rivers/springs turn to blood! The sun turns hot and scorches men with fire, then the sun is turned off! It plunges the world into utter dar...

After the last episode, where John witnessed the reapers reaping the earth in dramatic fashion, he hardly has a chance to catch his breath when he sees a terrifying sight! 7 angels - with 7 plagues appear! We get another throne room scene, but the glassy sea around the throne is mixed with fire! The saints are standing on the sea - holding harps of God. All heaven sings the song of Moses and of th...

The scene opens on Mt. Zion - the Mountain of God - the holy headquarters! Everyone is gathered. God - the Lamb - the heavenly hosts - and the 144,000 - the people of God! They are battle-ready! They bear the mark of God; they have been purified - qualified - sanctified! Suddenly, a series of 3 angels. The 1st is flying in midheaven - proclaiming an eternal gospel. The 2nd declares, "Fallen -...

What in the L is going on in REVELATION? Today, we take a pause from plowing through all the chapters of Revelation to ask a question. Why is there so much controversy over this book? Why all the arguing? Where do people get their ideas, concepts, and viewpoints about what the Book of Revelation is trying to tell us? Turns out - the primary points of contention are focused on the beast - the mark...

Now we come to the most talked about chapter in Revelation. It's Chapter 13 - the beast from the sea - with 7 heads - 10 horns - 10 diadems - sporting blasphemous names - and the beast from the earth - with 2 horns like a lamb - but speaks like a dragon! Beast #1 makes war with the saints and speaks words of blasphemy - but everybody worships him! Beast #2 performs great signs - deceives the w...

This chapter begins with - and a great sign appeared in the heavens! It's a woman - clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars on her head. She is about to give birth. It continues with - and another sign appeared in the heavens! It's a great red dragon with 7 heads - diadems on each head! He wants to devour the child! The woman gives birth to a son, and before...

In this episode, we are truly REVERENT - and most definitely REBELLIOUS! We are tackling one of this book's most difficult and controversial chapters. We have just come through Ch. 10, where John is told to eat a little scroll - and continue to prophesy. Clearly, this shows the urgency of the message of Jesus - persistently proceeding out into the world - even in the midst of the escalating chaos!...

In our previous two episodes, we saw the devastation of the first 6 trumpets. So, in this chapter, we naturally expect the 7th. What do we get? Another interlude! We see another strong angel - clothed with a cloud - a rainbow on his head - his face like the sun - and feet like pillars of fire! Who is this angel and what is he up to? He cries out with a loud voice, and 7 thunders utter their voices...

In this episode, God sends an angel DOWN - to the abyss! He gives him the key - and tells him to unlock the abyss and release whatever's in there! He does - and smoke pours out. Out of the smoke comes a massive swarm of locusts - like horses - with human faces and teeth like lions' teeth! They have scorpion tails, and torment people with their stings for 5 months! If that were not enough -...

We're back! It's Revelation round 2! We're kicking off this phase of our journey through the Book of Revelation with Chapter 8. The 7th seal is finally broken, and all of heaven can now see what's written on the scroll. It's the ultimate plan of God to exact judgment on - and bring redemption to the world! It is so dramatic and terrifying that a hush falls over the universe. Th...

We're going to put a cap - for now - on our series about sects, cults, and bizarre expressions of Christianity by looking at the cult-iest of all cults - and the granddaddy of all narcissistic, power-hungry, pieces of skubalon that ever existed! His name was Jim Jones, and his "church" was the People's Temple. From his humble and twisted beginnings in Indiana to orchestrating the largest human mas...

Today we make some space and take some time to go down memory lane. What actually happened in the world this past year? What in the wide wide world of sports went on? And politics - and church world? Who died? What did the weather throw at us? What were the best books - songs - and movies? And why in the middle of our episode were we visited by drones? Join us as we look back on 2024 - REV-REB sty...

Christmas carols. We sing them every year - enthusiastically - with great joy! We love the images - the ornate language - the artful way the Christmas story is woven into the classic melodies. But did you know - there is more to these iconic songs than meets the ear? Some are ancient - some are more modern. Others have a dark history and are filled with veiled references to myth and mystery. Still...

Welcome to the oldest fraternal organization in the history of civilization. It's the Masons - who meet in the Masonic Lodge! What do they do in there? Why so secret? Is this the group that pulls the strings behind every government of every nation? Do they secretly control the stock market 0 the black market - and the free market? This is an organization that started simply! Really - a bunch of ac...

This is a tricky one. Jehovah's Witnesses. There is no mystical prophet - no special glasses or magic underwear - just a really different take on theology from a well-meaning self-appointed preacher. They seem devout - sincere - and hyper-focused on evangelism and missions. It's just a different version of Protestant Christianity. Right? Eh - maybe - except for their assertion that Jesus is a crea...

What's up with the wackos in Waco? This story dominated the headlines in 1993. A huge compound - a strange cultic community led by a man who claims to be the Messiah - the Lamb of God - the one chosen to open and interpret the seven seals of Revelation! A search warrant - a siege - a 53-day standoff. A disaster of immense proportions! What did these people believe - and why such maniacal, unwaveri...

We've been in this series - examining cults - movements - and bizarre strains of Christianity. Today's episode leads us into a controversy of sorts. The Mormon church - more properly - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - LDS if you will - is one of the largest - wealthiest - and powerful religious organizations in the world! What do they believe? What are their practices? Why are the...