Land and Bible

The word Gehenna is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew “Gei–Hinnom”, the “Valley of Hinnom” which defines Jerusalem’s western and southern sides. Although the “constantly burning refuse” description is a favorite for tour guides and pastors, Gehenna has nothing to do with a continual burning of garbage in the Valley of Hinnom during the time of Jesus. This idea of continual garbage burning appears first from a medieval Jewish commentator, David Kimchi (ca. AD 1200), but it is wrong. Here is why: 1.        As mentioned above, there is no evidence in contemporaneous Second Temple Period sources (the time of Jesus) of a refuse fire constantly burning in the Hinnom Valley. The idea apparently originates from Rabbi David Kimchi’s commentary on Psalm 27:13 which dates to over 1000 years after Jesus (ca. AD 1200). Kimchi wrote: “Gehenna is a repugnant place, into which filth and cadavers are thrown, and in which fires perpetually burn in order to cons...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah" (Ephesians 1:3, 1 Peter 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:3). To the biblical mind, the Fatherhood of God is metaphorical, representing God’s role as the giver of life, and all that is encapsulated in the father-child relationship: intimacy, concern, discipline, protection, care, representation, and not the least of which, inheritance. The son inherits the father’s property. In comparison, to the Hellenist or Greek mind the fatherhood of God is metaphysical, having to do with substance and essence. Dionysus, for instance, since he is the son of Zeus , is divine in essence. It was in this Hellenistic way that the church fathers of later centuries incorrectly interpreted the fatherhood of God in relation to Jesus. To the trinitarian, “God the Father” is a title used to differentiate between persons of the “godhead”. To the trinitarian mind, God the Father is not “God the Son” or “God the Spirit.” But this is not biblical. The...

Today is Holocaust Remembrance day in Israel. The nations of the world tried again to destroy the Jewish people. Ironically, the Jews are exactly what the world needs as God’s channel of blessing to the world. In short, we need the Jews. "And as for me, this is my covenant with them," says the Yahweh: "My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring," says Yahweh, "from this time forth and forevermore" (Isaiah 59:21). Yahweh has chosen to reveal Himself by inspired words given through Israel. “Salvation is of the Jews” said Jesus, and “to them belong the oracles of God” said Paul (both Israelites, by the way). We Gentiles, languishing in the darkness and fog of our imaginations and speculations, need a light beam of revelation truth that comes from Yahweh through Israel, his prophet(s). As was said of A...