The Gary DeMar Podcast

A reading for the first week of Advent in Lectionary A is from Matthew 24. In a devotional published on Christianity Today's website by Craig Blomberg admits that while it sounds like the events in the second half of Matthew's version of the Olivet Discourse are for Jesus' first century audience, they really can't be because the "cosmic" language was not actually fulfilled.

Gary responds to a video where a pastor claims you must "rightly divide the Bible," based on 2 Timothy 2:15. By this he means that you must rightly divide the "people" of God into Jew and Gentile and understand New Testament passages in light of "the Church age." The Bible never speaks of a "Church age" but this does not prevent many from claiming that it must be there all the same. They claim it is inferred and is the "key" to correctly interpreting Jesus' prophetic words in the Olivet Discourse. Watch the video here. Get Last Days Madness here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/last-days-madness

Gary summarizes the initial two podcasts from the Covenant Hermeneutics and Biblical Eschatology series with Kim Burgess. Now that the first volume of the book is available, this recap was due for a re-run. While many people were enthused and appreciative of the interviews, others have taken issue with them. Gary explains the theological method of reading and interpreting the Bible on its own terms and some questions that arise from reading Scripture in light of Scripture. Get the book here: https://store.americanvision.org/products/the-hope-of-israel-and-the-nations

God created trees. He made them for us: for home building, decoration, shade, construction of fences, tables, chairs, sheds, and so much more. Just because pagans might have carved up a tree to make an image of a false god to be worshipped does not mean that we can't use them to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, God's "indescribable gift" to us (2 Cor. 9:15). Read Gary's article here: https://americanvision.org/posts/are-christmas-trees-pagan-symbols/

Gary discusses an article written by a woman who regrets pursuing her own goals and fulfillment in the workforce and being single. Ideas have consequences, but some ideas have very serious lifelong consequences, as this woman is quickly learning. In many ways, the Bible esteems maturity as one of the primary goals of life in this world: learning that it's not all about you and your own personal happiness.

Stories keep piling up about the self-appointed "experts" going out of their way to enforce everyone to think and believe what they demand. Newspeak and media brain-washing are the tactics, but many regular citizens are (finally) starting to push back and question the "upside down" world of the cultural elite.

Like many in Israel at the time of Jesus' birth, Christians today are looking for a political savior to rescue them and break the chains of tyranny. Christian leaders tell people to look up and ahead to Jesus' second coming and rejoice that their "redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28). But was this the response of Simeon and Anna? Were they rejoicing in what God would do millennia in the future, or were they rejoicing about what God was doing then? Read the article mentioned in this episode at the American Vision website.

One from the archives. Gary answers an interesting question that was submitted to another podcast. The question is tied to Jesus' words in Matthew 24 about "this generation" and the Pharisees as "brood of vipers" in Matthew 23. This question, which Gary had never heard before, caused a lot of discussion on the show and revealed that far from questioning the timestamp of Matthew 24:34, it actually confirms it even more. Note: This was originally recorded in Dec 2021, when Dr. Heiser was still actively posting podcasts. He died in February 2023 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

It is often claimed by revisionist historians that America was founded not on Christian principles but on Enlightenment ones. This is a huge overstatement. It is more correct to say that America was founded on both, however even the Enlightenment-influenced Founders were products of their time, which means they were also influenced by Christian principles and wrote them into our founding documents and governance.

Still in his basement, Gary answers a listener question about the "number of the beast," Nero, and Titus. The listener asks about Pastor Phillip Kayser's view that while Nero could be a candidate, he believes the Roman General (and later Emperor) Titus works better for 666. Gary discusses this and much more about this most notorious number from Revelation 13 (and 1 Kings 10). Gary's article on this topic: https://americanvision.org/posts/the-beast-and-his-number/ Phil Kayser's article: https://biblicalblueprints.com/Sermons/New%20Testament/Revelation/Revelation%2013/Revelation%2013-16-18