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? + + + 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

The discussion dives into whether God still communicates through dreams and visions today. It highlights biblical texts like Hebrews that challenge the notion that such encounters have ceased. The conversation emphasizes the importance of embracing supernatural experiences instead of dismissing them, suggesting that doing so could hinder recognizing God's active presence in our lives. Thought-provoking insights invite listeners to reconsider the relevance of these mystical experiences in modern faith.

Tasha Halstead, a passionate guest host, joins Matthew Halsted to dive deep into faith's complexities. They unpack 'believing loyalty' as a profound commitment to Christ, challenging traditional views. The discussion flows to the transformative 'circumcision of the heart' and the Holy Spirit's role across the Testaments. They also tackle free will vs. divine determinism, highlighting the nuances of genuine faith and the importance of autonomy in spiritual relationships. Get ready for an engaging exploration of belief, love, and connection!

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?). + + + 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

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! --- 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 + + + 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

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. + + + 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

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? + + + 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

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. + + + 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

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? + + + 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

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? + + + 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