Episodes
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Revelation 12 is full of Old Testament allusions -- what are they, and how do they help us understand the meaning of John's vision? This chapter also contains an abbreviated re-telling of the life and ministry of Jesus. It's a re-telling that features a woman about to give birth to a baby -- a child that a certain dragon seeks to devour. Who is this woman (Mary? Israel?), and how would have the first readers of Revelation understood John's way of telling the story -- those, that is to say, who were familiar with Greek myth? And lastly, how can Revelation 12 help modern readers reconsider popular notions about the "tribulation"?
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Revelation 11 kicks off by talking about a "temple." Is this a reference to a physical temple? Or is there another way to understand it? How might considering other passages in the New Testament help us in this regard? And who are the two witnesses? Is John saying that, at some point in the future, there will be two individuals who show up (Moses? Elijah? Others?) to prophesy? Many modern prophecy teachers are confident this is the case. In this episode, though, Matt argues that, perhaps, the truth of the matter is far more interesting -- and relevant for today.
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Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It
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Missing episodes?
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On the podcast, Matt has been going verse-by-verse through Revelation. The core narrative found in this last book of the New Testament is how the weak (the slain Lamb and his people) are victorious over the strong (the dragon and his people). We see this same narrative elsewhere in the New Testament, namely, in the Gospels. There Jesus elevates the small, the weak, the marginalized; the heroes of his stories are often cultural outcasts. In this vein, how does Jesus' teaching on faith in Luke 17 shed light on the faithfulness the seven churches are called to exhibit in Revelation?
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Read Matt's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.com
Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It
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This episode is brought to you from sunny San Diego, where the 2024 annual IBR/SBL/AAR conference was hosted. Matt offers thoughts on the value of academic conferences, not least with respect to the Bible. In short, deep reflection happens best in community, where the back-and-forthness of dialogue can take place and where encouragement and critique can blossom. Biblical hermeneutics, after all, is a dialogical endeavor, one that simply cannot happen in the silo of individualism. In this vein, Matt also discusses anti-intellectualism in the church and why the academic study of Scripture is a gift to the kingdom.
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
Read Matt's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.com
Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It
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Christians are called to be peacemakers. But what, exactly, does this entail? Specifically, how do we live as peacemakers in a world such as ours? How are we, for instance, called to handle toxic relationships? And how can the story of creation in Genesis 1 help us answer these questions?
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
Read Matt's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.com
Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It
Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!
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Revelation 10 introduces a "mighty angel" from heaven. The angel's speech, message, and activities resemble that of an angel depicted in the Old Testament (i.e. in Daniel). But there are also dissimilarities between the two. How might observing these features help us understand Revelation 10, especially with respect to the angel's enigmatic speech about time (10:6)? There's also the mysterious message of "the seven thunders," which John is told not to write down. What does this mean, and how could the Old Testament help us understand the message's concealment? Finally, what's going on with John being told to "eat" a scroll, and how does this lead into the discussion about the two witnesses in Revelation 11? Listen to find out!
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
Read Matt's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.com
Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It
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The sixth trumpet brings about the release of four angels, who had been bound (imprisoned) at the Euphrates River. Who are these angels, and what's the point of their being bound at a geographical location such as the Euphrates? Readers also encounter a cavalry that numbers 200 million. What's the significance off this number, and what, exactly, is this cavalry? Is it a demonic ? Is it a human? And will this cavalry appear in the future, or should we think differently about it?
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
Read Matt's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.com
Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It
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Matt discusses the events that occur at the fifth trumpet. Who is the "star" that Revelation says "had fallen from heaven to earth"? Is this the "destroyer" of Exodus 12? And what relationship do these texts have with Isaiah 14:12-20? Furthermore, what are the locust-beings that come up from the "bottomless pit," and what are they doing to the earth and its inhabitants? Does this text describe acts of judgments, and if so, what is their purpose?
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
Read Matt's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.com
Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It
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Matt chats with pastor and author Mark Beuving about the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, whose thought-provoking writings have captivated readers ever since they were first published. Mark unpacks this intriguing thinker, sharing specifically how Kierkegaard's essays on love and faith could influence our own thinking about what it means to live out the Christian life.
Get a copy of Mark Beuving's book: Resonate: Enjoying God's Gift of Music+ + +
Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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This episode comes with an interesting lineup of topics: Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die? What does the Bible say about death and the intermediate state? Do Christians who have died know what's happening on earth? Do they experience emotion, such as regret? Why would God allow Job to suffer? Did God offer Job up as a pawn or is something else going on?
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
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Here are some brief reflections on the question of whether God still speak in dreams and visions and how this question relates to biblical texts such as Hebrews 1:1-2.
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
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Matt takes questions about faith as "believing loyalty" and how that relates to the forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament (as it relates to obedience), and a question about John 6:65 -- can it be interpreted non-deterministically?
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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Matt takes listener questions about angels (are they still active in the world today?), God's wrath (who is the destroying angel in the Old Testament? How does divine wrath relate to free will?), the "Romans road salvation plan" (does it capture the full story of the Gospel? How can we better incorporate the story of Israel in our evangelistic efforts?), and the inerrancy of Scripture (is "inerrancy" a good word to use for describing the Bible? What are some pitfalls in the way it's often employed in contemporary discussions?).
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!
Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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Revelation 8 raises a lot of questions, such as: Who are the seven angels with seven trumpets? What is the significance of their using trumpets? What is the "great mountain" that is "thrown in the sea"? Is this literally a mountain? How does one interpret the "great star" (called "Wormwood") that falls from heaven (this, after all, can hardly be taken as a literal "star")? And, lastly, why is the fraction "one-third" used so often in Revelation 8? How does this number fit into the larger narrative? These questions and more are addressed in this episode. Listen to explore some answers!
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Sigve Tonstad's Revelation commentary: https://a.co/d/1xqmIIM
On "wrath" as divine withdrawal, see Greg Boyd's 2-volume work, Crucifixion of the Warrior God: https://a.co/d/0PTkbwA
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!
Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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In Revelation 7, there are 144,000 people sealed on their foreheads -- 12,000 drawn from 12 Jewish tribes. What is John describing in this vision? Should we interpret this literally, as a group of 144,000 individual Jewish people? Or is this symbolic for something else? In this episode, Matt dives into the text and offers reasons why the 144,000 should be understood as referring to the fulness of God's multi-ethnic church -- a company of saints who exist within (and because of) the story of Israel.
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
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There's a lot to consider in Revelation 6:9-17; 8:1-5. First, after the 5th seal is opened, we read of martyrs under an altar praying to God for justice to be restored to the earth; they are given white robes and told to "rest a little longer." What's significant about their prayer? What do the white robes signify? Second, with the opening of the 6th seal, the cosmos undergoes a dissolution of sorts -- the sun is darkened, the moon turns blood red, the stars fall from the sky. This symbolism can be found in the prophets (e.g. Joel, Isaiah), as well as in other parts of the New Testament (e.g. Matthew, Acts). Why is this important to note, and what do these apocalyptic images signify? Finally, at the 7th seal, there is "silence" in heaven. What does this mean? How can the Old Testament help us answer that question?
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
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What do you think of God? What thoughts come to mind when you hear the words "sovereign" applied to him? Do you think of God as a Father -- one who has intimate knowledge of, and deep care for, his creation? In this sermon, Matt unpacks Psalm 147:4-5, which speaks of both God's infinite wisdom/understanding and the comos' contingency/finitude. The implications of these two verses are far-reaching, inviting us to think deeply and carefully about the one, true eternal God and our relationship with him.
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!
Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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In Revelation 6:1-8, we encounter "the four horseman of the apocalypse." And, to be sure, there are many questions to consider: Who are these characters? Are they angelic beings (the "good guys?") simply carrying out God's judgment? Or are they sinister forces who are allowed to bring chaos and destruction? Does this text describe exclusively future events (i.e., a future tribulation), or is there a better way to understand it? Finally, how does John's vision of the four horsemen relate to the visions of Zechariah's horsemen and chariots?
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
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Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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If there's one cardinal rule about interpreting Revelation, it's this: If you want to understand the content of Revelation, it's a good idea to have a grasp on the structure of Revelation. In this episode, Matt addresses this very issue. How, for example, should readers understand the three cycles of judgment -- that is, the seals, trumpets, and bowls? Are they depicting events that occur chronologically? Are they describing future events? Or is something else going on?
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!
Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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There's a big reveal in Revelation 5 -- a vision that allows John to get a glimpse into the heart, the way, and the character of God. What does John see that is so extraordinary? How does his vision counter the politics of his day? How might it challenge ours? And how does this vision in particular recall (and shed light upon) key Old Testament texts? Listen to find out!
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Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here)
Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!
Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted
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