The Naked Bible Podcast

In view of Mike’s work on the divine council and Psalm 82 in his best-selling book, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, many have asked what’s going on in John 10, where Jesus defends his deity by quoting Psalm 82. The consensus interpretation has the gods of Psalm 82 as only people – Jewish elders or Israelites at Sinai (both of which are unmentioned in Psalm 82). How does that approach make sense when Jesus needs to defend statements of equality with the Father elsewhere in the chapter (John 10:30, 38)? Mike’s view is that such an approach makes no sense at all – and that there is much more coherent alternative. Mike laid out his view in a conference paper accessible on the Unseen Realm’s companion website (Chapter 4 tab). Mike’s slide presentation: or download powerpoint slideshow here

Our 14th Question and Answer episode!

Topics discussed in this podcast include the significance of Edom in eschatological consciousness, the identity of 'they' in the Book of Obadiah, the importance of understanding Old and New Testament connections, voting update and newsletter announcement, discussion on McLod Nonprofit video and donation support, and upcoming event and Q&A episode.

Exploring the concept of thieves gathering, the meaning of 'Giborim', and the portrayal of the Edomites. Also, discussing Edom's offenses, the severity of their punishment, and the themes of forgiveness and salvation in Acts.

Our 13th Question and Answer episode! paper and video referenced: Heiser OT Response to Pagan Divination  

Explore the composition of the Old Testament, including controversies surrounding authorship and timeline. Discover the transition from La-ish to Dan and its implications for Moses and the Judges. Examine changes in place names and the rewriting of texts in the old Hebrew script. Learn about the significance of certain books in the Old Testament and debates surrounding them. Uncover the discovery and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in understanding the Old Testament. Delve into the history and production of various editions of the Hebrew Bible. Discover the meticulous process of compiling and verifying the Old Testament.

Many Bible students find the episode in Numbers 21:1-9 confusing. Why would God tell Moses to make a bronze serpent (nachash)? Did God forget about the serpent of Genesis 3? Why would Jesus compare his impending death on the cross to the bronze serpent? This episode asks whether these ideas are in fact connected and how the serpent in the wilderness episode should be interpreted.

It’s common among Christians to interpret Paul’s statement that “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25-26) to refer to mean that national Israel will be saved by God in the end or that all Jews will eventually turn to the messiah in the end times. But is that what Paul meant? How would we know? This episode discusses Paul’s statement and these questions. Links referenced: Summary of Christopher Zoccali, “And So All Israel Will be Saved: Competing Interpretations of Romans 11.26 in Pauline Scholarship,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 2008: 289-317 Staples’ article: Jason A. Staples, “What Do the Gentiles Have to Do with “All Israel”? A Fresh Look at Romans 11:25–27,” Journal of Biblical Literature 130:2 (2011): 371-390

Lots of Christians interested in prophecy talk about the tribulation period (aka, the “Great Tribulation”), but they never seem to get around to asking where the idea comes from. In this episode we explore the development of the eschatological tribulation idea in Second Temple Jewish literature up to and including the time of Jesus. Surprisingly, asking what the tribulation meant in the actual New Testament era is a recent strategy of scholars – and something that never happens in popular prophecy teaching.

We reached a milestone and celebrated with our listeners. Thanks to all who sent in their thoughts. It’s gratifying for both Trey and myself to be helpful to those who care about biblical content. Thank you for listening to The Naked Bible Podcast God bless…