Deeper Bible & Theology

Subscribe To Our Free Monthly Newsletter – What’s Coming In September/October

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Please take a minute to subscribe to the Bible Rebel monthly newsletter – it’s free and will keep you up to date on all our articles, videos, and features.

Our Mission at Bible Rebel

  1. To monitor current news and events related to faith and culture.
  2. To provide an alternative viewpoint to the world’s pervasive climate of darkness, nihilism, and hopelessness for those seeking truth, light, and purpose.
  3. To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.
  4. To present the Biblical truths which reveal God’s nature and purposes and proclaim the lifechanging, world-altering, radical message of Yeshua the Messiah – Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior.

At Bible Rebel, this 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.

So, expect some controversial viewpoints and uncomfortable ideas in some of the coming content from Bible Rebel.

Coming in September and October

Starting a new series called the “Your Life and What Comes After” series.

More in-depth content on deeper biblical studies and theological issues.

You can find all of the current Bible 101 episodes and One-Minute Mini Messages here on our YouTube Channel, and you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

We’ll also be continuing our regular features, guest articles, and series:

  • Rethinking The Rapture
  • They Said It
  • Guest articles
  • And more…

Watchdogs

As always, we’ll be keeping a watchdogs eye on all of the latest political, religious, biblical archaeology, and cultural news and events from around the world and bringing to you in bite-size chunks to keep you informed.

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Is Charlie Kirk In Heaven Right Now?

Rick TryonLeave a comment

I understand how comforting it is to believe that our love ones who have passed away are alive and well in heaven right now. But is that what the scriptures teach and tell us?

After the brutal public assassination of Charlie Kirk last week, I saw several of his well-intentioned friends and colleagues on TV reassure their viewers that Charlie wasn’t really dead at all, but that he was watching over us from heaven.

But is that what the Bible teaches us about our assurance of everlasting life – that we don’t really die, but rather just immediately transition from this world to the next at the moment of death.

Recall the account in the Garden of Eden and the words of the serpent in Genesis after God’s warning about eating the forbidden fruit:

Genesis 2:17 (KJV):
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

The meaning here wasn’t just that Adam and Eve would die spiritually on that day, but that there was a judgement of actual death and that their lives would one day end rather than going on indefinitely.

Death was a curse then, and it is now. One of the first lies of the serpent was this:

Genesis 3:4-5 (KJV):
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

Is the truth “Ye shall not surely die…”, or is it that death is a curse and and enemy to be despised?

Is the Christian hope that each believer will gain immediate entrance into ‘heaven’ at the moment of death – or is it that we will all be resurrected from death and decay, or changed if still living at the time, together in God’s determined time, and enjoy eternal life as the family of God in a redeemed creation?

I believe that the scriptures plainly teach the latter, not the former, and that rightly dividing the Word of God on this important truth makes a difference in how we live today.

Stay tuned to Bible Rebel as we dig deeper (no pun intended). 🙂

They Said It: In Support Of Premillennialism

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Here are four famous quotes that express or support Premillennialism (the belief that Christ will return before a literal 1,000-year reign on earth, as described in Revelation 20):

Justin Martyr (100–165 AD) – Early Church Father

“But I and every other completely orthodox Christian feel certain that there will be a resurrection of the flesh, followed by a thousand years in the rebuilt, embellished, and enlarged city of Jerusalem, as was announced by the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, and others.”
— Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 80

Irenaeus of Lyons (130–202 AD) – Early Church Father

“For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says: ‘Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made; and God rested upon the seventh day from all His works.’ This is a history of the things formerly created, and a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the six thousandth year.”
— Against Heresies, Book V, Chapter 28

George Eldon Ladd (1911–1982) – Evangelical Theologian

“Premillennialism is based on the exegesis of Revelation 20:1–6, which, if interpreted literally, teaches that Christ will come again before the millennium and will reign on earth with His saints for a thousand years.”
— The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views

John F. Walvoord (1910–2002) – Dispensational Premillennialist

“The premillennial interpretation is the only view that does justice to the plain statements of Scripture. When taken in their ordinary meaning, the promises of the Old Testament to Israel and the prophecies of the kingdom of God find their fulfillment only in a future literal reign of Christ on earth.”
— The Millennial Kingdom

Rethinking The Rapture: Historical Origins Of Rapture Theology

Rick TryonLeave a comment

Just a reminder – John Nelson Darby was not an author of scripture, and Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth (1970) and Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series are not books of scripture.

The doctrine of the Rapture—the belief that Christians will be suddenly “caught up” to meet Christ in the air before a time of tribulation on earth—has a complex history. Its origins are more recent than many assume. Here’s the breakdown:

Biblical Roots (1st Century)

  • The idea comes mainly from 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, where Paul says believers will be “caught up” (harpazō in Greek, later translated in Latin as rapiemur, “we shall be snatched up”).
  • Early Christians saw this as part of the Second Coming of Christ, not as a separate secret event. The expectation was one climactic return of Christ, not two stages.

Early Church & Medieval Period

  • Church Fathers like Irenaeus, Augustine, and Chrysostom interpreted these passages within the framework of a general resurrection and final judgment, not a pre-tribulation rapture.
  • The dominant view for centuries (Catholic, Orthodox, and later Protestant Reformers) was amillennial (symbolic millennium) or postmillennial (Christ returns after a golden age), with no idea of a sudden, secret removal of believers.

Rise of Premillennialism (17th–18th Century)

  • In the wake of wars, plagues, and upheavals, some Protestant groups revisited literal interpretations of Revelation and Daniel.
  • Joseph Mede (1627) was influential in reviving premillennialism in England, but still didn’t propose a two-phase coming.
  • Some fringe sects speculated about believers escaping tribulation, but it wasn’t mainstream.

John Nelson Darby & Dispensationalism (1830s)

  • The modern Rapture doctrine, especially the pre-tribulation Rapture, is most closely tied to John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), leader of the Plymouth Brethren movement in Britain.
  • Darby developed dispensationalism, which divided biblical history into ages (dispensations). He taught that the church would be secretly taken before the Great Tribulation, leaving Israel and the world to face judgment.
  • His views spread widely in Britain and North America.

Popularization in America (Late 19th–20th Century)

  • The Scofield Reference Bible (1909) systematized Darby’s dispensational teaching, embedding the Rapture into evangelical theology in the U.S.
  • Bible conferences, prophecy seminars, and later mass media (books, radio, film) spread the idea.
  • The Cold War era (1940s–80s) fueled Rapture expectations amid fears of nuclear war and global unrest.

Modern Influence

  • Best-selling books like Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth (1970) and Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series (1995–2007) brought the Rapture into popular culture.
  • Today, it remains central in many evangelical and Pentecostal traditions, though Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Reformed traditions largely reject it as unbiblical or a modern innovation.

In summary:
The concept of believers being “caught up” comes from Paul’s letters, but the specific doctrine of a pre-tribulation Rapture as a distinct, secret coming of Christ originates with John Nelson Darby in the 1830s. It spread through dispensationalism, the Scofield Bible, and American evangelical culture.

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

Rethinking The Rapture: Send In The Clouds?

Rethinking The Rapture: Another Look At N.T. Wright

Supplication In The Spirit: Part 3

Steve SannLeave a comment

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 part in a new series on prayer called ‘Supplication In The Spirit’ by Steve Sann.

Supplication in the Spirit: Part 1

Supplication In The Spirit: Part 2

Developing Our Supplication Skills

So, we are to use our minds while we speak in tongues to generally direct and enhance our prayer faith. Furthermore, Philippians 4 lays out for us a veritable supplication success formula, detailing the mindset and attitude in which to effectively offer supplication: Philippians 4:6,7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Already in Ephesians 6 we were instructed to offer these supplications in the spirit. But, here we are exhorted specifically regarding our mindset when we pray. First, we select the specific requests that we desire to make known to God. Here we are told we should be offering these petitions for “everything.” Indeed, whatever is triggering within you feelings of anxiety, wouldn’t those matters be encompassed by this term “everything”? God wishes you to bring Him those very petitions, leaving nothing to be anxious about.

Now that is a mindset that would serve all of us well to master. At the very moment an anxiety steals its way into your heart or mind, stop and speak in tongues, lifting that specific supplication to God. Should it return, we repeat as necessary, until our hearts are guarded by peace.

Secondly, we are to pray “with thanksgiving” to God for promising to take care of our requests. Believing with expectation our needs will be fulfilled, we can already at this time offer thanksgiving—as though we had already received His answer in the senses realm.

Thirdly, we are to make our requests “known unto God.” God already knows our requests. Rather, here we declare our petitions as one would before a court of justice. We claim them, as one would his legal rights. Although God knows our every supplication ahead of time, He now requests for us to claim those petitions before Him as rightfully ours.

And then, finally, with this prayer attitude firmly in place, “the peace of God…will guard your hearts and minds” from the anxieties and worries that defeat. This peace of God surpasses all understanding, in that it is built upon the foundation of confidence in the principles of the Word, not of the senses reasoning. Hence, although it is supremely logical to trust in God, it surpasses the understanding of the natural man. It subsists by the third fruit of the spirit, “peace,” Galatians 5:22.

So, although speaking in tongues bypasses the understanding, God allows us to lift our specific needs to Him by the spirit when we focus our minds on the subject of our supplication. Speaking in tongues for that specific need gives us confidence that He has heard perfectly all that He needs to act on your behalf.

As we picture the specific needs of ourselves and others being met by God, while praying in the spirit, we are both praying in the spirit and in our understanding simultaneously. And, we are concurrently believing to bring it to pass. No more powerful form of prayer can be made. It follows then that, as a result, the peace of God protects the hearts of those who pray with supplication in the spirit.

They Said It: Four Famous Quotes On Spiritual Warfare

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When a horrific, inexplicable act of intentional evil is carried out by someone, should we always blame it on ‘mental illness’? I think we need to examine the reality more closely in many cases and acknowledge that we are engaged in a battle with spiritual wickedness in high places.

1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (KJV)

Here are four famous quotes on the subject.

C.S. Lewis (The Screwtape Letters, 1942):
“There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.”

    John Piper (Desiring God):
    “Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth.”

      Charles Spurgeon (sermon on The Christian Soldier):
      “Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation.”

        A.W. Tozer (This World: Playground or Battleground?):
        “People think of the world not as a battleground, but as a playground. We are not here to fight; we are here to frolic. We are not in a foreign land; we are at home. We are not getting ready to live; we are already living. And the idea that this world is a battleground has now been rejected by the great majority of Christians.”

          Rethinking The Rapture: Another Look At N.T. Wright

          Rick TryonLeave a comment

          Continuing our ‘Rethinking The Rapture’ series, I want to revisit N.T. Wright’s ‘Farewell to the Rapture” essay.

          Here, Wright addresses the image of believers being suctioned up into the air and taken away to heaven at the return of Christ, as popularized in modern novels and movies:

          “…Paul conjures up images of an emperor visiting a colony or province.  The citizens go out to meet him in open country and then escort him into the city.  Paul’s image of the people “meeting the Lord in the air” should be read with the assumption that the people will immediately turn around and lead the Lord back to the newly remade world.

          Paul’s mixed metaphors of trumpets blowing and the living being snatched into heaven to meet the Lord are not to be understood as literal truth, as the Left Behind series suggests, but as a vivid and biblically allusive description of the great transformation of the present world of which he speaks elsewhere.”

          Wright makes another very poignant observation about the current worldview of some Christians who believe, wrongly in my opinion, that scripture teaches that believers will be scooped up to avoid a ‘Great Tribulation’, then return seven years later with Jesus to dish out the final portion of God’s wrath on the world.

          “Paul’s misunderstood metaphors present a challenge for us: How can we reuse biblical imagery, including Paul’s, so as to clarify the truth, not distort it?  And how can we do so, as he did, in such a way as to subvert the political imagery of the dominant and dehumanizing empires of our world?  We might begin by asking, What view of the world is sustained, even legitimized, by the Left Behind ideology?  How might it be confronted and subverted by genuinely biblical thinking?  For a start, is not the Left Behind mentality in thrall to a dualistic view of reality that allows people to pollute God’s world on the grounds that it’s all going to be destroyed soon?  Wouldn’t this be overturned if we recaptured Paul’s wholistic vision of God’s whole creation?“

          Let’s allow the whole Word of God to speak to us and teach us rather than magnifying pet verses out of context and being seduced by pop theology – like Left Behind.

          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

          Rethinking The Rapture: Send In The Clouds?

          Supplication In The Spirit: Part 1

          Steve Sann1 Comment

          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 first part in a new series on prayer called ‘Supplication In The Spirit’ by Steve Sann.

          Praying for the Specifics

          While working at home late one evening, in my early ministry years, I picked up the phone to be startled by the panicked voice of one of our youth leaders. In the background were the uncontrollable screams of his wife. Whatever launched her into hysterics, it was clear she was beyond reasoning, incommunicative.

          Staggered and dazed, I didn’t know what to do. The man was pleading with me to take charge, “cast out the spirits or whatever,” and then thrust the phone to his wife. On the other end was the voice of a young woman in unreserved confusion. Trying to calm the situation was futile, as she would have none of that! Yet, through the melee that followed, a half-hour later, we were able to finally disconnect in some semblance of peace. I fell back into my office, shaken and perplexed.

          Not long afterward, my wife appeared at the door, returning home from an event across state. Foregoing the usual courtesies, studying my face, she quizzed me: “Is there something strange going on here?” She explained: “While on the highway home, a picture of our house flashed into my mind. Suddenly I saw up on the side of the house the reflection of flashing red emergency lights! I began praying in the spirit like ‘a house-a-fire’ for whatever the situation was here at home!” She sighed, “I didn’t stop until a half-hour later when I sensed the emergency had passed.”

          “Supplication” is exactly that: coming before God with a specific list of needs for ourselves and others. It may be that God gives you the specifics, expecting you to pray for another. Or, you may be listing to God for the needs of which you are already aware. Either way, when we bring specific needs before God in tongues, we are fulfilling, by definition, “supplication in the spirit.”

          In today’s prayer publications, seldom a word is mentioned regarding supplication in tongues. Yet, as you may recall, in Ephesians 6, it was reinforced to make unfailing supplication in the spirit: Ephesians 6:18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Twice in this one verse are we told to supplicate, always and with all perseverance, for all the saints. If supplication is this important, God confirming it with repeated absolutes, we can be confident we know what and how to carry it out effectively.

          Rethinking The Rapture: Send In The Clouds?

          Rick TryonLeave a comment

          R.T. France’s interpretation of the “Son of Man coming in clouds”

          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.

          Mark 13:26 – “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

          • France’s View: This is not a literal, visible return of Jesus to earth.
          • He argues that Jesus is drawing on Daniel 7:13, where the Son of Man comes on the clouds to God (the Ancient of Days)—not to earth.
          • Therefore, this “coming” is not about return, but about the transfer of authority and the vindication of Jesus after His suffering and death.
          • “They will see” should be understood figuratively, meaning people (particularly those who rejected Jesus) will recognize the consequences of His vindicated status, especially through:
            • The destruction of the temple (A.D. 70),
            • The spread of the gospel,
            • And the judgment upon Jerusalem.

          🔹 “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)

          Mark 14:62 – “…you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

          • France sees this as a prophetic declaration of vindication, spoken directly to the high priest and the Sanhedrin.
          • The phrase “seated at the right hand of Power” implies divine authority, referring to Psalm 110:1.
          • “Coming with the clouds” again echoes Daniel 7:13, but not in the sense of descending from heaven. Instead, it describes Jesus’ ascension to divine status and authority.
          • The Sanhedrin would “see” this through the events that followed: Jesus’ resurrection, the birth of the church, and the judgment on Jerusalem.

          🔹 “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

          Summary of France’s Key Points

          PhraseInterpretation
          “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 13:26Public vindication of Jesus as the Son of Man, seen through judgment and gospel progress
          Mark 14:62A 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

          Osteen Vs. Jesus

          Rick TryonLeave a comment

          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.

          Who is 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).

          But What did Jesus teach?

          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?