Bible Questions – Page 4 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on May 3, 2016October 20, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 4 Comments

James the Lesser

There are two apostles named James mentioned in the Bible: James the Greater and James the Lesser. The descriptions of the two men do not mean that the second James was not as great as the first one—the description was merely used to distinguish the two James with the second one as the younger or smaller between them. He was also titled the Lesser because he was called much later by Jesus than James the Greater as an apostle.

“Statue of St. James the Less in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran by Angelo de Rossi.”

James the Lesser was the son of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:8; Luke 6:15) while James the Greater was the son of Zebedee. His mother was Mary of Cleophas (sister of Jesus’ mother) according to 5th-century theologian Jerome and 1st-century bishop Papias of Hierapolis. He was also identified as the brother of Jude Thaddeus and possibly one of Jesus’ brothers (according to Galatians 1:19 and again according to Jerome).

Readers of the Bible can only find a few verses about James the Lesser and what he did for the early church. He was one of the apostles who witnessed Christ’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7), a confidante of Peter when he was on the run from Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:17), and later rose to prominence in the church along with the other apostles (Acts 15; 21:18; Galatians 2:9). He was also credited as the writer of the Epistle of James.

According to Roman historian Eusebius, James became the bishop of Jerusalem but was killed by the Jewish mob after the successful appeal of Paul to Caesar in 62 AD. He was thrown down from a parapet and clubbed to death after he refused to abandon the Christian faith. His feast day is on the 1st of May along with Phillip the Evangelist.

References:
Ropes, James H. Epistle of St. James International Critical Commentary Volume 41 of International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. A&C Black, 2000
Eusebius, and Paul L. Maier. Eusebius–the Church History: A New Translation with Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999
http://www.catholictradition.org/Saints/feast-days.htm
Picture By Jastrow – Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2845668

Posted on April 21, 2016February 18, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

What are the names of the 12 apostles?

The original 12 apostles are listed in Matthew 10:2-4, “These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.”

The Bible also lists the 12 apostles in Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:13-16 with slight differences in the names. Most Bible scholars agree that Thaddaeus was also known as “Judas, son of James” (Luke 6:16) and Lebbaeus (Matthew 10:3). Simon the Zealot was also known as Simon the Canaanite (Mark 3:18).

Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, was replaced in the twelve apostles by Matthias (see Acts 1:20-26)

Posted on April 20, 2016April 20, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

What is The Abomination That Causes Desolation?

Today our answer is taken word for word from the entry in Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology which gives a concise and complete answer covering most interpretations.

An expression that occurs three times in the Septuagint of Daniel (9:27; 11:31; 12:11) and twice in the words of Jesus (Matt 24:15; Mark 13:14), where slight linguistic variation exists. Luke’s account of this prophecy (21:20) is more general and speaks of armies surrounding Jerusalem. First Maccabees, quoting Daniel, refers to these words to the sacrifice of swine’s flesh on the altar in Jerusalem by Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, in 168 b.c. (1:54). Josephus, without referring to Daniel, recounts this episode in detail (Antiq. 7.5.4). Jesus, in using these cryptic words of Daniel, is also predicting a desecration of the temple, or at least the temple area, which will parallel the catastrophic event of the past, so well remembered by the Jews of his day.

There have been numerous suggestions as to precisely what Jesus meant by this prophecy. It should be noted that for Jesus, the Abomination has become a personal force rather than an event—he stands (in the holy place [Matt 24:15] where he does not belong [Mark 13:14]). This has caused some to look for a particular historical act by an individual for fulfillment (variously, Pilate, Caligula, or Hadrian, more proximately, or more remotely the Antichrist himself in the endtimes) as the ultimate Abomination. Others have argued, especially in light of Luke 21:20 and Daniel’s words, that either the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 or the desecration of the temple at that time, whether by the apostate Jews beforehand or the Romans afterward, fulfilled Jesus’ prophetic words.

Given the nature of prophetic utterance, which often includes a more proximate and remote fulfillment, there is no reason why there could not be truth in both of these approaches. Jesus could very well be referring to the end of the age—he was, after all, answering the questions of “when will this happen” (i.e., the destruction of the temple) and “what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” (Matt 24:3)—as well as to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. If this is so, then the early Christians were right when they fled Jerusalem in obedience to Jesus’ words (Matt 24:16-20), but were also right when they looked for yet another, more cataclysmic fulfillment in the more distant future that would constitute the end of the age.

Posted on April 20, 2016April 20, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 9 Comments

David and Bathsheba, How old was their son when he died?

The question: Can you tell me the age of the infant son of David and Bathsheba from their adultery when he died?

Answer: No. All we know is that Nathan the prophet was sent to David after the child was born but we do not know how long it was after he was born. We also know that the child was struck ill on that day and lived for seven days. The history is found in 2 Samuel Chapters 11-12. It is interesting that during the entire nine months until the birth of the child and Nathan’s visit David did not write any new psalms. Also, it’s interesting to me that David and Bathsheba’s fifth son, born after the death of their first, is named Nathan.

An excellent discourse on these chapters including repentance, forgiveness, the effects of sin on those around us and more can be found in Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible

Posted on April 19, 2016September 5, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 5 Comments

Hebrew Calendar Dates

The Hebrew calendar structure was made on a complicated lunisolar way which was focused on the seasonal cycle of the year (the complete revolution of the earth around the sun) and the lunar cycle for the month (the complete revolution of the moon around the earth). It was based on the same calendar used in Babylon and adapted by the Jews after the Babylonian exile which explains why the month names of the Hebrew calendar resemble those of the Babylonians.

This system was used from the time of the Second Temple Period, and it combined religion and astronomical facts. The calendar was under the authority of the priests, and two witnesses were required to report that they had seen the New Moon in order to start a new month. A system of intercalation was used to prevent it from falling behind the seasons, but it was fixed by Patriarch Hillel II in 70 AD, and the calendar system was made known to the public so that the Jews who lived in different parts of Europe and Asia could celebrate holidays and New Moons on the same days.

Hebrew and Mesopotamian Month Names

Hebrew_Calander

The Hebrew Calendar has 354 days called yom. The daylight hours are equally divided into 12 hours starting at sunrise and ending when the sun sets. This division of the day is important especially on the Sabbath (as one of the ten commandments) and on holidays. What makes the Hebrew day unique is that it starts at sunset and not at midnight.

The Hebrew term for a week is “shavu’a”, and each week begins on Sunday and ends on Sabbath. Knowing when a week starts and ends is important because weekly Torah readings called Parashioth and Haphtaroth (selection of passages from the Prophets) are still read every Sabbath and on festivals.

Months*

The Hebrew month is based on the lunar cycle of 29.5 days, and it is called Chodesh. Each month started with the appearance of the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and was sanctified and announced by the Sanhedrin in the ancient times. Each month alternates between 30 and 29 days (equals to 354 days/year) and Adar II is added by the Calendar Council every two to three years to correct the lag and synchronize the calendar with the solar cycle. This extra month is added every two to three years, so every nineteen years the Hebrew calendar will have seven leap years.

Hebrew_Calander_Seasons

Years

The Hebrew term for a year is called “shanah” and the calendar council is in charge of balancing the years by calculating the beginning of the seasons. A Sabbatical Year (Shmitah) is celebrated every seven years to let the land rest and a Jubilee Year (Yovel) is celebrated 50 years after seven Sabbatical years.

Holidays

The change of seasons is marked with special festivals or moedim (Appointed Times) and the festival day begins the night before the actual day, so it takes two days in the Gregorian calendar. The Sabbath is considered so important that if a holiday falls on the same day, it will be moved to Thursday. A list of holidays is listed in the Months section.

References:
http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm
Friedländer, David. Sod Háibur: Grundlage Und Festsetzung Der Zeitberechnung … Budapest: M. Burian, 1880
http://www.assyriatimes.com/assyrian/knowledge/the-true-assyrian-calendar/3410
Spier, Arthur. The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar: Twentieth to Twenty-Second Century, 5660-5860, 1900-2100. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers, 1986
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12967-sabbatical-year-and-jubilee
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Calendar/

Posted on April 19, 2016April 19, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Did Methuselah Really Live 969 of Our Years?

There is so little change in the earth’s spin and revolution that the times and seasons have remained the same for the last 6000 years; 24 hour days, 365 1/4 day years ( they are based on revolutions around the sun and revolutions of the earth.) That would mean Methuselah really did live 969 of our years. You might enjoy this information from Tom Whiting on the astronomical earth year.

“I know the spin rate (one day) is slowing down due to the gravitational effects of the moon…..about 3 millionths of a second per year (65 million years ago, the dinosaurs had a 20 hour day)….but I’ve never read where our speed around the sun has changed over the millenia.

In fact, I would assume that as we spiral in closer to the sun (very slowly) we would actually speed up, thus a slightly shorter length of year. But then again, the sun is continuously losing mass through the fusion process to produce energy, so that would allow the Earth (and all the planets) to drift outward slowly, thus lengthening the orbital (yearly) time period. Perhaps the two effects offset each other, because I’ve read nothing about the “year” growing longer (or shorter) as the centuries and millenia go by. But if it has, it certainly is not measurable in our lifetimes, and it would probably affect our calendar by only one day every few million years. “

Posted on April 18, 2016May 8, 2019 by Amy — Leave a comment

Have the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah been found?

Have the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah been found? Two Biblical archaeologists say yes but disagree as to where. Dr. Steven Collins provides a video below with his reasons why he believes this site is correct. Dr. Bryant G. Wood who is excavating a different site disagrees and provides another site in this excellent article.

Watch the video and see what you think. As Biblical Chronology enthusiasts we are excited by the excellent work being carried on today as the Bible regains the respect of archaeologists lost during the 1960’s.

By the way Todd Bolens blog gives the following reasons for disagreeing with Dr. Steven Collins

Tall el-Hammam does not match the occupational profile for Sodom given in the Bible.

Sodom, according to the Bible:

Intermediate Bronze (aka EB IV/MB I; 2300-2000 BC): occupied and destroyed
Middle Bronze (2000-1500 BC): not occupied
Late Bronze (1500-1200 BC): not occupied
Iron Age (1200-600 BC): not occupied

Tall el-Hammam, according to the excavations:

Intermediate Bronze (aka EB IV/MB I; 2300-2000 BC): occupied
Middle Bronze (2000-1500 BC): occupied [Sodom was not]
Late Bronze (1500-1200 BC): not occupied
Iron Age (1200-600 BC): occupied [Sodom was not]

Posted on April 18, 2016April 18, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 8 Comments

How Dates Are Calculated on the Bible Timeline

I have a quick question – Do you have Jacob’s life dates on it? I’ve looked on the internet and in Bible history and the only dates I’ve come up with are first half of 2^nd millennium BC! If so how were you able to establish your dates? How accurate are they? Thanks, Heather

Hi Heather:
Our dates are based on Bishop Ussher’s calculations. These are the dates that were printed in the margins of the Authorized King James Bible since 1701.

If you can get a good date for Adam, you can then come forward using the information in Genesis, which links key male Bible figures from Adam to Solomon giving the age of the father when the son was born. Using these ages, we get that Jacob was born 2168 years after the creation of Adam.

Using 4004 BC as the date of Adam’s creation we easily calculate that Jacob was born in 1836 BC (4004BC -2168 years) He lived 147 years which means he died in 1689BC. See Genesis 25:36 and 47:28.

Our dates are based on Ussher’s calculations which are considered accurate by most Biblical and many secular historians.

Here’s our page on historical proofs of the Bible.

Posted on April 14, 2016April 14, 2016 by Amy — 2 Comments

The death of Judas, did he blow up?

A reader asks: Judas blew up? (Acts 1:18)

“Judas Iscariot (right), retiring from the Last Supper”

Here’s one translation. With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.

And here’s King James Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

Sounds more like he fell from a great distance and when he hit his body broke open. The Greek word translated as “burst asunder” or “burst open” means to burst asunder with a crack, crack open.

Here’s a good article on the two references to the death of Judas in the four gospels (one mentions hanging and the other mentions falling)
http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/143

References:
Picture By Carl Heinrich Bloch – http://www.carlbloch.org/The-Last-Supper.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10115340

Posted on April 8, 2016August 8, 2016 by Amy — 22 Comments

What tree was Christ crucified on?

A Reader asks:
The cross that Jesus was crucified on, was it made from the Dogwood tree?
Also, the wreath of thorns that Jesus wore, what was it made from? And could you please direct me as to where it is located if anyplace in the Bible.

The Bible does not state what type of wood was used to make the cross. Nor does it state what type of plant was used for the crown of thorns. Smith’s Bible Dictionary has this to say about the crown of thorns:
Crown of thorns,
Matthew Our Lord was crowned with thorns in mockery by the Roman soldiers. Obviously, with some small flexible thorny shrub, perhaps Capparis spinosa. “Hasselquist, a Swedish naturalist, supposes a very common plant naba or nubka of the Arabs, with many small and sharp sines; soft, round and pliant branches; leaves much-resembling ivy, of a very deep green, as if in designed mockery of a victor’s wreath.” –Alford.

None of the well-known Bible Dictionaries speculates on the type of wood used for the cross.