As reported in Bible History Dailyfrom the Biblical Archaeology Society, a recent discovery has unearthed, literally, a stamped clay bulla bearing the seal of King Hezekiah.
From the article: “The royal seal of King Hezekiah in the Bible was found in an archaeological excavation. The stamped clay seal, also known as a bulla, was discovered in the Ophel excavations led by Dr. Eilat Mazar at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The discovery was announced in a press release by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology, under whose auspices the excavations were conducted...
…Who Was King Hezekiah in the Bible?
King Hezekiah in the Bible, son and successor of Ahaz and the 13th king of Judah (reigning c. 715–686 B.C.E.), was known for his religious reforms and attempts to gain independence from the Assyrians.“
As always, Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on the latest news from the world of biblical archaeology and brings it to our readers. Stay tuned.
Editors note: the guest article appearing here does not necessarily reflect the views of Bible Rebel editors or other guest authors and contributors. Bible Rebel seeks to present a wide range of ideas and viewpoints in order to fulfill our mission to provide resources for “Curious Fearless Faith”.This is the third installment in an ongoing series on prayer by Steve Sann.
So, what motivates me to speak in tongues in the first place? Most basically, because Jesus said I should, and Paul said I could. Jesus, in his final instructions on earth, commanded that future believers should speak in tongues: “And these signs shall follow them that believe…. they shall speak with new tongues.” (Mk. 16:17 KJV). And later Paul, encouraged all believers, that they both should and could: “I would that ye all spake with tongues…” (I Corinthians 14:5a KJV). So, the morning of the Day of Pentecost, when the gift of holy spirit was first received, what did the apostles do? They spoke in tongues as the Lord had commanded.
And yet, as we look around today, it’s not uncommon to see those seeking tongues becoming discouraged, waiting endlessly in disappointment to “feel” something. Some even have reasoned that God certainly has not granted them this “special gift”.
Even others have been taught it is exclusively for ministering in foreign languages as a missionary. But in reality, that phenomenon occurred only once in all of scripture (Acts 2): there is no promise offered nor reason suggested that it would be often repeated. Quite the opposite: we speak in tongues because the scriptures stipulate it, not because we expect sensations, or are planning some sort of religious pilgrimage!
Every one of us has the ability to speak in tongues at the time of the new birth. Physical sensations and other such phenomena are never guaranteed by the Word, and, frankly, are most uncommon. Why should God have to use five senses incentives (emotions, feelings, and the like) to motivate a mature Christian to do what is clearly commanded in His Word?
No—rather, the scriptures plainly encourage all believers to speak in tongues: “I would that ye all spake with tongues…” (I Corinthians14:5a). God would have all of us manifest, showing forth this ability which is already inherent in each of us. But why, then, should we strive to speak in tongues frequently? Didn’t we fulfill Christ’s directive by merely speaking in tongues the first time? On the contrary. Paul emphasized, when it comes to tongues, more is definitely better. As an example of this most healthy lifestyle, Paul pointed to himself: I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. – I Corinthians 14:18
Paul’s daily habit? He spoke in tongues—much. In fact, he spoke in tongues so much that he surpassed everyone in the entire first-century Corinthian church: “…I speak with tongues more than you all.” Perhaps, as some translate, he actually spoke in tongues more than the entire Corinthian church combined. Whatever the case, by this one declaration in I Corinthians 14:18, Paul commended his own example as the standard for the church of the first century.
“Prior to 1948, the date when the Jewish state was re-established, practically the only people who referred to themselves as Palestinians were the Jews who lived there. The others there, mainly Muslim Arabs, referred to themselves as Muslims.”
“…The modern Palestinian identity was largely invented in 1964, when the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was created.”
“…By the 19th century, much of what is now the West Bank and Gaza was sparsely populated and underdeveloped. Travelers such as Mark Twain and former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant described the region as barren and largely uninhabited. These accounts, written without political bias, provide insight into the state of the land before the demographic shifts that followed.”
And in his conclusion to the article, Dr. Rhode states: “The historical connections between the people of Gaza, the West Bank and British Mandate Palestine are complex—shaped by centuries of migration, trade and political shifts. They are not one people, but a hodge-podge of peoples with no prior connection to pre-1948 Palestine, who settled there during the past two centuries.”
The biblical history of the region is clear – the land and the blessing were given to Abraham and his seed through Isaac by God’s covenant.
Genesis 17:18-21 (KJV) – 18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Is traditional denominational church attendance and membership an indicator of the spiritual health of a country or community?
Maybe. But if it is, then America and Western Europe have been are in need of an urgent diagnosis and prognosis, because the patient hasn’t been looking so good in recent years.
According to churchtrac.com, “Church membership and attendance have been on a steady decline in the United States for almost 25 years. A recent (2021) Gallup study discovered U.S. church membership has dipped below 50% for the first time in 80 years.”
In addition, according to a recentPew Research Religious Landscape Study, “The latest RLS, fielded over seven months in 2023-24, finds that 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christians. That is a decline of 9 percentage points since 2014 and a 16-point drop since 2007.”
That study also indicates that study also found that, “…for the last five years, between 2019 and 2024, the Christian share of the adult population has been relatively stable, hovering between 60% and 64%. The 62% figure in the new Religious Landscape Study is smack in the middle of that recent range.”
So, it’s possible that the decline in traditional churchianty’s attendance and membership has leveled off in recent years, but it seems to be only getting worse in Western Europe.
Catholic Membership in Germany Falls Below 20 Million for the First Time
“For the first time in history, the number of Catholics in Germany has dipped below the 20 million mark, according to preliminary figures released by the German Bishops’ Conference in Bonn. As of 2024, the Catholic population now accounts for just 23.7% of the total German population, translating to approximately 19,769,237 members.
This significant decline comes despite a slight decrease in the number of individuals formally leaving the Church. In 2024, 321,611 Catholics exited the institution, a reduction from the previous year’s figure of 402,694.“
Why?
Well, you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, as the saying goes.
Anyone who has been paying attention to such things knows, both statistically and anecdotally, that Americans and Europeans alike have become increasingly skeptical of, and even hostile towards, denominational Christianity.
This doesn’t mean folks aren’t interested in or craving spiritual matters less, it just means that religiosity has lost much of it’s appeal and credibility.
There are a variety of reasons for this exodus from churchianity, but here are some of the reasons I have observed and noted over the years:
Denominational and creedal doctrines are confusing and contradictory, often not even biblical, and fail to provide direct answers to direct questions about God and the Bible.
Clergy and spiritual leadership are often seen as being too focused on raising resources for new buildings, administration, and church functions.
Church and worship services are too often centered on denominational ceremonies and traditions, which are mostly devoid of spiritual power, or on emotional experiences which are short-lived.
Teachings from the pulpit that are either boring and irrelevant or are focused on cultural, political, and social issues rather than on the power of the living God and the literal resurrection and literal apocalyptic return Jesus Christ to judge the world, establish His Kingdom, and bring about the everlasting reign of God.
Bible Rebel’s Creed and Mission
The purpose of the Bible Rebel ministry and blog is to provide an alternative resource and connection point for those seeking something more than stale, powerless religion.
Here is our one and only creed: Our living God is a loving God and the Bible is His revealed word and will. Our hope and eternal salvation relies entirely on the work of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.
In my previous letter I left you with this thought – ‘everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright it’s not the end’ – as a shorthand way of explaining the ‘The Eschatological (end-times) Hope’ argument for why God allows natural evil to happen in our world.
In this letter I want to talk a bit about the ‘Mystery of Divine Providence’ argument.
The ‘Mystery of Divine Providence’ is a fancy way of saying that we aren’t able to understand why God allows bad things to happen to people and that we just have to trust that, even though disease or earthquakes are deadly evils now, a greater good will eventually come of it.
It’s different from end times hope because instead of trusting in an ultimate justice and a ‘setting right’ of all that’s wrong, the mystery of divine providence asks us to look at evil as a necessary step on the road to God’s end-game.
I’m not buying it, though. To say that the ultimate good depends on evil happening doesn’t pass the commonsense test – or a closer study of the Bible.
Evil is never good, and God doesn’t use human suffering to accomplish His ends – with one exception: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ resulting in his crucifixion and death, which he offered of his own free will in order to ‘reset’ God’s purpose back on its originally planned course to everlasting life and glory with Him.
Yes, God’s ways are above our ways – Isaiah 55:8-9“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
But that doesn’t mean that God has to use the death of a child or a catastrophic flood that kills hundreds of people in order to bring about some eventual good thing He has planned. It just means that how and why God works His will is often far beyond our understanding.
Anyway, that’s a lot to think about for one letter I guess.
So, maybe next time we’ll start in on why human evil exists, sound good? Well, not ‘good’, maybe ‘interesting’ would be a better choice of words here.
Analyses of the Durupinar formation near Mount Ararat in Turkey revealed traces of marine deposits and a ship-shaped structure matching biblical dimensions of Noah’s Ark.
From Townhall.com – This past week, the Jerusalem Post reported that “analyses revealed traces of marine deposits and a ship-shaped structure matching biblical dimensions” of Noah’s Ark. The “ship-shaped” mound, called the “Durupinar formation,” was first discovered in 1948 by a Kurdish farmer near Mount Ararat’s summit in Turkey. Modern studies beginning in 2021 have found more convincing evidence. Thus, if this discovery is Noah’s Ark, one can anticipate more “magic show” tales waiting to be revealed through advanced archaeological technology.
Rephaim Valley Location
A study suggests the biblical Valley of Rephaim may lie closer to the ancient Philistine city of Gath, rather than near Jerusalem as traditionally thought.
From Greek Reporter – A new study challenges long-held beliefs about the biblical Valley of Rephaim, offering a fresh perspective on its location and historical meaning. Researcher Sabine Kleiman suggests the valley may lie east of the Elah Valley, closer to the ancient Philistine city of Gath, rather than near Jerusalem as traditionally thought.
Editors note: the guest article appearing here does not necessarily reflect the views of Bible Rebel editors or other guest authors and contributors. Bible Rebel seeks to present a wide range of ideas and viewpoints in order to fulfill our mission to provide resources for “Curious Fearless Faith”.This is the second installment in an ongoing series on prayer by Steve Sann.
Perhaps surprisingly, it is often the smallest things we do in life that bring about the greatest impact: a complimentary word to a child; the decision to forgive the inexcusable; a helping hand to another in a time of desperation. Although they may be simple and unsophisticated, little things in life can bring about far-reaching effects.
So it is with speaking in tongues. A little effort goes a long way. For instance, how much personal energy do we really expend when we speak by the spirit? Not much, really: we don’t even have to think before we speak! We open our mouths, move our lips, make the sounds, and—lo and behold—God gives us His words. How uncomplicated. And if not painless enough, we can even not move our mouths, and just speak in tongues silently to ourselves! Simple, yet what a profound impact these effortless words of perfect prayer have on our lives and the world around us. To speak in tongues is as easy as God could design it—it is literally the least we can do!
When we first speak in tongues, we speak out in faith, trusting God to give us the words as we speak forth. We just begin speaking, and the words are there. But, if we are to learn to speak in tongues much, discipline is much more the order of the day. Discipline is born from our inner desire, and our desire is fueled by our anticipation of receiving the special benefits God has promised us. Learn and yearn for His benefits, and they will motivate you to discipline your life to obtain the things of God. As always, God’s gain is our gain.
So, what motivates me to speak in tongues in the first place? Most basically, because Jesus said I should, and Paul said I could. Jesus, in his final instructions on earth, commanded that future believers should speak in tongues: “And these signs shall follow them that believe…. they shall speak with new tongues.” (Mk. 16:17 KJV). And later Paul, encouraged all believers, that they both should and could: “I would that ye all spake with tongues…” (I Corinthians 14:5a KJV). So, the morning of the Day of Pentecost, when the gift of holy spirit was first received, what did the apostles do? They spoke in tongues as the Lord had commanded.
And yet, as we look around today, it’s not uncommon to see those seeking tongues becoming discouraged, waiting endlessly in disappointment to “feel” something. Some even have reasoned that God certainly has not granted them this “special gift”.
Even others have been taught it is exclusively for ministering in foreign languages as a missionary. But in reality, that phenomenon occurred only once in all of scripture (Acts 2): there is no promise offered nor reason suggested that it would be often repeated. Quite the opposite: we speak in tongues because the scriptures stipulate it, not because we expect sensations, or are planning some sort of religious pilgrimage!
Every one of us has the ability to speak in tongues at the time of the new birth. Physical sensations and other such phenomena are never guaranteed by the Word, and, frankly, are most uncommon. Why should God have to use five senses incentives (emotions, feelings, and the like) to motivate a mature Christian to do what is clearly commanded in His Word?
