Weird Stuff in the Bible

One of the most mysterious statements Jesus ever said was this claim that He made in three of the Gospels:
(Matthew 16:28)

“Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

He says this in Matthew 16:28, Luke 9:27 and Mark 9:1. And it’s caused a lot of Christians to wonder: what could Jesus have meant by this when 2,000 years have passed since then and Jesus still hasn’t returned?
Well, it gets a lot less mysterious when you look at what immediately happened after He said those words. In all three accounts, the next thing to take place after that was an event called the Transfiguration. Jesus went up on a mountain with three of His disciples and lit up brighter than the Fourth of July.
So, OK. Jesus was talking about the Transfiguration there, not His Second Coming. It all makes sense now. But I always wondered: what is the Transfiguration all about? I mean, it seems really significant. Only three disciples were even allowed to go. Elijah and Moses also make a cameo. Then Peter starts talking about building a tabernacle or tent for them, and I’m like, where did that idea even come from? And then they all just move on afterwards like it didn’t even happen. There are so many strange things going on in this story.
I mean, no offense to Jesus, but I find the Transfiguration account to be really really weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 
Turn with me to Matthew 16, and let’s get weird.

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Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:20 - Part 1- The Mountain
8:20 - Part 2- The Old Testament Transfiguration
17:25 - Part 3- The Covenant at Hermon
25:10 - Next Time & Newsletter
27:25 - Closing Thought

Visit the Weird Stuff store!
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You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com
Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

There is a parable which I believe is not technically a parable- I believe it’s a true story- called The Rich Man and Lazarus. Jesus tells this story in Luke 16. And there’s a lot of strange things you could point out about this story, but what always sticks out to me is where Lazarus goes when he dies in this story.
Luke 16:22

So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.

And as you read the story, you find that a rich man died and went to a fiery place of torment called hades, but the beggar named Lazarus went to a better place called Abraham’s Bosom. 
Now, we’ve all heard of going to heaven and hell when we die. And I don’t believe in purgatory. But what is Abraham’s Bosom?
And I’ll do you one better, where is Abraham’s Bosom?
And I’ll do you one better, why is Abraham’s Bosom in the Bible?
We’ll answer all these questions today, because I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.
Turn to Isaiah 14, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Intro
3:20 - Sheol
8:50 - Abraham’s Bosom
12:45 - Luke 16, The Rich Man and Lazarus
19:40 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com
Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

Last week, we talked about where demons come from.
This week, I want to talk about why they’re still here. 
So demons are the spirits of the giants in the Old Testament. Most of them probably lived prior to the flood. But they all died, and when they did, their spirits didn’t leave this planet. God left them right here on the earth to act as spirits of affliction against mankind. 
These are demons. The ghosts of giants.
God literally says in Enoch 16, “thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great ⌈judgement⌉.”

And by the way- I’ll show you today that the Bible backs this up 100%.
But hold up. Why do we have to deal with them? The giants and their spirits are irredeemably evil. They do nothing but cause problems. The flood was supposed to give us a fresh start. Why not just send them on down to h-e-double-hockey-sticks and we can be done with them?
I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why the demons got left behind in the book of Enoch, as well as in our Bibles. 
And not only that, it’s going to conclude our week-by-week journey through the Book of Enoch that we started in January. 
So if you’re ready for that, turn to Matthew 18, and let’s get weird.

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Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
3:25 - Basanizo 
8:08 - Persons Without Bodies
16:45 - Enoch 16
22:20 - Types of Spirits
26:50 - Next Time
27:50 - Closing Thoughts

Visit the Weird Stuff store!
https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com
Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

Virtually all the theology books out there tell us: demons are fallen angels. This is the prevailing theory offered by most scholars, pastors and theologians today.
In GotQuestions.org's article titled “What Does the Bible Say about Demons?” The first four words are these: “Demons are fallen angels…” 
And I love that website, but this is an area where I would disagree with them. But I bring that article up because that represents the conventional wisdom in modern times in the Western world. And it’s also what I believed most of my life. That when Satan rebelled against God, he took a third of the angels with him, and that these angels are the demons who make up his kingdom today- the same demons that Jesus was constantly casting out of people when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago.
The only problem is: the bible never says that. And that’s not what the ancient peoples believed. Don’t get me wrong: there is a Satan. There were indeed fallen angels. However, the ancient people- including the writers of the Bible- believed demons came from somewhere else.
In fact, by the end of today’s episode, you’ll see that Jesus Himself used an expression that tells us exactly where the demons came from- and we can prove from His own words that they are NOT fallen angels.
So why do people in modern times see things differently?
I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why this contemporary theory is NOT in the Bible. 
Turn to Genesis 6, and let’s get weird.

The GotQuestions.org article I referenced: https://www.gotquestions.org/demons-Bible.html

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Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
3:10 - The Genesis of the Giants 
6:50 - Enoch 15
10:05 - The Genesis of the Demons
17:00 - Unclean Spirits
22:00 - What Does the Bible Say?
25:00 - Closing Thoughts

Visit the Weird Stuff store!
https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com
Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

I Corinthians 11 is one of those really weird passages of Scripture that I would say 90% of Christians just kind of try to ignore. 
It’s probably the most out-of-place chapter in the entire New Testament. It feels very counter-cultural, extremely outdated, and not super relevant to anything in modern church practice. 
It’s a section that even the most conservative, Biblically faithful modern churches like to pretend isn’t there.
I’m talking about the chapter where Paul talks about head coverings.
He tells us in 
I Corinthians 11:5

every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head

What are you talking about, Paul? Where is this coming from? Is this just a cultural thing, or is it a literal command for all believers anywhere, anytime?
And what’s even more strange is Paul’s reason for this statement, which he gives in
Verse 10

That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Oh, ok then. Because of the angels. Great. Totally makes sense now. 
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, PAUL?
Turns out, he’s talking about the Watchers. Those dudes we’ve been reading about this year in our book of Enoch study. Why is Paul referring to them in this section about head coverings, though?
I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 
Turn to I Corinthians 11, and let’s get weird. 

Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here:
https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/

Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
3:05 - Revisiting this Odd Chapter
9:05 - Don’t Blur the Lines
18:10 - Ancient Pop Culture References

Visit the Weird Stuff store!
https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com
Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!