In this second short episode in the Bible 101 series from Bible Rebel, we continue the discussion of how we got the Bible
Is the Bible just another book written by men a long time ago? Or is it more than that?
You can watch the 10-part Bible 101 series on YouTube here.
This is the first episode in the Bible 101 series from Bible Rebel.
Is the Bible just another book written by men a long time ago? Or is it more than that?
In this first brief episode we begin the discussion.
You can watch the 10-part Bible 101 series on YouTube here.
Bible Rebel continues to keep a watchdog’s eye on events in the Middle East. That is not to say that we are watching for any fulfillment of biblical prophecy there, we keep our eyes and ears open to news that affects people of faith from every region around the world.
The Holy Land is of particular interest for three reasons:
Are the biblical prophecies focusing on geographical locations in the Middle East, especially in and around current-day Israel, relevant to the Church in our times today?
Or will those prophecies only come to pass and be revealed in some future time after the destiny of the Church has been realized? This is a subject Bible Rebel will be exploring in some depth going forward. Stay tuned.
For now, here’s the latest from the Middle East.
Date: August 3, 2025
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir visited and prayed at the al‑Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, flouting long‑standing religious protocols. His actions were condemned by Palestinian authorities, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia as a serious provocation. Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is intensifying: 119 Palestinians were reported killed in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll in the Israel‑Gaza war to over 60,800—including 175 hunger-related deaths (93 were children). Israeli forces reportedly killed 27 Palestinians at food‑aid sites, and a Palestine Red Crescent staff member was among those killed.
From The Guardian
Date: August 1–2, 2025
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff—on his first visit to Gaza since the war began—inspected aid operations run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Rafah. The United Nations had rejected collaborating with GHF, warning that distribution sites had become unsafe and were linked to over 1,000 deaths—many due to Israeli military action. Witkoff aimed to develop a new aid strategy, calling the situation a severe humanitarian crisis.
From Reuters
Date: August 2, 2025
Hamas has rejected U.S. envoy Witkoff’s statements suggesting they were willing to disarm. The group criticized his visit as a “staged show,” aimed at misleading the international community. Since May, over 1,300 Palestinians have died near GHF-run aid sites due to violence, prompting concerns about the organization’s operations. Parallel to these developments, France and the UK have indicated possible recognition of a Palestinian state in September if Israel does not meet conditions including a ceasefire, as supported by EU and Arab League resolutions.
From Al Jazeera
Date: August 3, 2025
Hamas released new footage showing Israeli hostages in visibly emaciated condition, triggering widespread outrage and renewed calls for urgent action. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Tel Aviv and publicly expressed support for hostage families, advocating for a ceasefire.
From Deutsche Welle
R.T. France, who passed away in 2012, was a respected New Testament scholar and commentator who interpreted Mark 13:26 and Mark 14:62 as references not to a future, visible second coming of Jesus, but to His heavenly vindication and enthronement, drawing heavily on Daniel 7:13 and the literary/theological context of Jewish apocalyptic imagery.
Following is a summary, enhanced by Mr. AI, of France’s view.
🔹 “The ‘coming’ of the Son of Man in clouds is an enthronement scene, not a return-to-earth scene.”
— R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, NICNT (2002)
🔹 “Jesus’ response is a claim not of eventual return, but of imminent exaltation… a challenge to those who are about to condemn Him.”
— R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, NICNT
| Phrase | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| “Coming on the clouds” | Danielic imagery of heavenly exaltation, not return |
| “They will see” | Figurative: people will recognize the implications of Jesus’ divine authority |
| Mark 13:26 | Public vindication of Jesus as the Son of Man, seen through judgment and gospel progress |
| Mark 14:62 | A warning to the high priest: the one they condemn will soon be exalted over them |
Rethinking The Rapture: Introduction
Rethinking The Rapture: Questions
Rethinking The Rapture: More Questions
Rethinking The Rapture: N.T. Wright’s ‘Farewell to the Rapture’
Rethinking The Rapture: What 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Doesn’t Say
Rethinking The Rapture: Millions Of Christians Were Not Delivered From Wrath
Rethinking The Rapture: What Does ‘Delivered From Wrath’ Mean?
Rethinking The Rapture: What Does ‘Delivered From Wrath’ Mean? Part 2
Rethinking The Rapture: In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Rethinking The Rapture: Matthew 24:40-42
Rethinking The Rapture: N.T. Wright’s ‘Farewell to the Rapture’ Redux
They Said It is a regular feature from Bible Rebel, highlighting quotes from various folks on various topics of interest and relevance to our readers. Here are some memorable quotes about the Apostle Paul – the one from Thomas Jefferson is especially interesting.
Martin Luther (German Reformer):
“The epistles of Paul are the clearest gospel of all. He deals with the true essentials of Christian doctrine with such simplicity, clarity, and depth that they must be treasured above all other writings.”
John Chrysostom (4th-century Church Father):
“Put the whole world on one side of the scale, and you will see that the soul of Paul outweighs it.”
David Hume (Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, skeptic of religion):
“The conversion of Paul… is a strong proof of the truth of Christianity.”
(Paraphrased from his Essay on Miracles, where he acknowledges Paul’s radical transformation as a historical argument worth serious consideration.)
Thomas Jefferson (3rd U.S. President):
“Paul was the first corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus.”
(From a letter to William Short, 1820. Jefferson admired Jesus’ moral teachings but believed Paul distorted them with dogma.)
Plug in to the Grand Purpose to find meaning.
Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on news and events concerning denominational religion, and brings that content to our readers.
Chinese authorities have recently shut down several congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—including branches in Beijing and other cities—citing their failure to register with the government. The unexpected closures have left members “heartbroken,” and church leaders are seeking ways to adapt to shifting political environments.
From The Salt Lake City Tribune
The Church announced that between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, convert baptisms during that 12‑month period reached the highest in Church history. Every global region saw at least a 20% increase in baptisms in Q1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
From newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org
On July 13, 2025, First Presidency member President Dallin H. Oaks delivered a devotional message from Brussels to Latter-day Saints across Central and Eastern Europe. The broadcast—translated into 23 languages—called members to seek unity in Christ.
From churchofjesuschrist.org
On July 13, 2025, the world-famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square aired the 5,000th weekly episode of “Music & the Spoken Word,” with audiences tuning in via radio, television, and online across 50 countries. The milestone reflects almost a century of continuous broadcast history, dating back to July 15, 1929.
From Church News
The other day I came across the meme I’m using for this post and it reminded me of a previous series I did on the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ and the ‘Health And Wealth’ theology. So I want to revisit and focus on one of the subjects of that series – Joel Osteen.
Joel Osteen, the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, has an estimated net worth that varies across sources. Some reports suggest his net worth is around $100 million (Celebrity Net Worth), while others estimate it to be approximately $40 million to $60 million (Wikipedia).
Additionally, some sources claim his net worth is as high as $180 million (CA Club India).
Osteen resides in a 17,000-square-foot mansion valued at $10.5 million in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston. He has stated that he does not receive a salary from Lakewood Church, which has an annual budget of $70 million, relying instead on income from his best-selling books and related products (Wikipedia).
Well, it seems pretty clear to me—or to anyone else with a lick of common sense—that when Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you…” He didn’t have $10 million mansions, private luxury jets, and massive piles of cash in mind.
But what did He have in mind? Read the context:
Matthew 6:25–34 (NKJV)
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
You don’t need an advanced degree in theology or philosophy to understand the plain words spoken by our Lord here. All you need is basic reading comprehension.
What things “shall be added to you”? Mansions? A fleet of luxury fishing boats? A hoard of gold coins? No—the “things” are the necessities of life, like food and clothing.
Does He teach that you can’t or shouldn’t have more than the necessities? No—but our Lord’s message is clear: the desire for God’s righteousness is muddied and distorted when we focus on the riches of this age instead of His kingdom.
It’s impossible to have total reliance on God when one has lots of cash, cars, jets, and Swiss bank accounts to fall back on—right?
Here is Jesus, in Matthew 24:6-7, teaching his disciples about the end times. But also encouraging them to ‘see that ye be not troubled’.
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” (KJV)
Much of what our Lord was prophesying here had to do with the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple, which would happen within 40 years or so of this prophesy and his imminent death and resurrection.
However there is no reason not to consider that he was also making a double prophecy, which is fairly common in the Bible, extending the meaning here to also warn of the time immediately preceding the Final Judgement, which is still future as of this blog post.
Let’s remember, though, that people and nations in all times and places have experienced wars, famine, earthquakes, and pestilence. This prophecy is referring to a specific people in a specific place and time(s)- the people are those disciples living in the place, Jerusalem and Judea, at the time preceding the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and also in some future time right before The End.
Even so, as watchdogs living in this time and place we should always keep our ears tuned ‘rumors of wars’ and be aware of the seasons of God’s plans and purposes.
So here is a brief recap of some of the international war news happening right now.
On July 22, 2025, the U.N. Security Council adopted a Pakistan‑drafted resolution urging all member states to resolve disputes peacefully through negotiation, mediation, or arbitration under the U.N. Charter. Secretary‑General António Guterres highlighted crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti, and Myanmar, warning of record hunger and displacement. The resolution emphasized renewed trust in multilateral diplomacy.
From The AP
In response to mounting international pressure over famine in Gaza, the Israeli military has initiated daily “tactical pauses” in combat and established humanitarian corridors for aid delivery. Pauses are set from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in specific zones, and corridors operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. Aid groups welcomed the move but cautioned it may not meet critical needs.
From Financial Times
Also on July 26, 2025, amid worsening famine conditions, Israel and the UAE resumed airdrops of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Aid organizations criticized the method as inadequate and urged Israel to lift its blockade and allow unrestricted ground access. Meanwhile, civilian casualties mount—with over 60,000 Palestinians reported killed and approximately 2 million displaced since October 2023.
From The Guardian
An armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand has escalated since late May 2025, resulting in at least 32 deaths and displacing up to 200,000 people along their shared border. On July 26, former U.S. President Trump intervened—calling both leaders and demanding a ceasefire, even threatening tariffs on trade if hostilities continue.
From Wikipedia
‘They Said It’ is a regular feature highlighting quotes from various folks on various topics of interest and relevance to our readers.
“I was a general in the kingdom of darkness, but God had a better plan for me. The devil is a counterfeit — he gives you temporary power, but Jesus gives you eternal life.”
— From his book, “Out of the Devil’s Cauldron”
“I used to give angel readings and write about psychics and tarot, but when I read the Bible, especially Deuteronomy 18, I realized I had been doing what God detests. I gave my life to Jesus, and everything changed.”
— Interview with “Faithwire,” 2019
“I saw real demons. I summoned them. I did spells that worked. But none of it gave me peace. Only Jesus had the power to free me.”
— In his testimony featured in “All That Remains: The Story of a High Wizard Who Found Christ”
“I was deep into the occult, believing I had control. But I was deceived. When I encountered Jesus, the darkness fled, and I finally knew truth and love.”
— (Note: This quote is attributed to a woman with the same name, not the theosophist Alice A. Bailey. Sources are from modern deliverance ministry testimonies.)