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The Armored SheepYou Are Never Alone! A story from Georgia reminds us of how we are always protected by our Good Shepherd.In December 2022, a 20-month-old Great Pyrenees named Casper defended his flock against a late-night attack by 13 coyotes. Casper charged into the middle of the pack and in a fight that lasted half an hour, Casper killed several coyotes and scattered the rest.But Casper wasn’t done.He jumped the fence and chased down several more coyotes and sent them to their eternal reward. But when Casper didn’t re...2025-04-2315 minThe Armored SheepGodly Grief ALL OF us have known grief—even our Savior.When we grieve for a brother or sister who’s been called home by the Lord, we need to recognize that the sadness we feel is for ourselves, because those who are now with Him wouldn’t come back to this world if they could. That may be why Jesus wept for Lazarus. He knew that he was bringing his beloved friend back to a world of pain and sorrow.So, when we say goodbye to a loved one who knew J...2025-03-2708 minThe Armored SheepMerry Christmas! Sharon shares memories of her childhood Christmases in southern Indiana along with a reminder from our Savior, whose birth we celebrate at this time of year, that he gave us “a new commandment”: To love one another, just as he has loved us (John 13:34). 2024-12-2512 minThe Armored SheepDisease X! A MYSTERIOUS respiratory disease has emerged in Congo that’s been dubbed “Disease X” by the Africa Center for Disease Control.The case fatality rate is high, over 6% (compared to seasonal influenza, which is usually around 0.1%). However, many of the fatalities were children who were malnourished, which may have made them more susceptible to the disease.Meanwhile, another outbreak of something called “Dancing Disease” has emerged in Uganda. We’re keeping an eye on these, using our God-given discernment to sift out the truth from clickbait.We now...2024-12-1815 minThe Armored SheepSeed Oils and Cancer A new study found a link between popular cooking oils in ultra-processed foods and colon cancer in young Americans. What types of oils should we avoid?The study is still preliminary, but it indicates that seed oils like sunflower, canola (rapeseed), grapeseed, and corn are linked increased risk of colon cancer among young people. Tumors from 80 colon cancer patients were studied and found that these tumors had high concentrations of bioactive lipids, which are tiny greasy substances that accumulate during the metabolic breakdown of seed oils.Basically, eating foods...2024-12-1114 minThe Armored SheepThe Grass Withers, The Flower Fades SOME THOUGHTS inspired by a random encounter at the hospital over the weekend while Derek was in the ICU recovering from surgery. The prophet Isaiah wrote:The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isa. 40:8)Isaiah’s words, quoted by Peter (1 Peter 1:24–25), remind us that our time in this life is short, but God’s word, which promises us a place in His house (John 14:1–3), is incorruptible and unchanging.Thank you for you...2024-11-1319 minThe Armored SheepTrump Again! Now What? DONALD TRUMP won the US presidential election Tuesday night with a resounding victory over Kamala Harris. How do we Christians process this?Most importantly, we remember that our mission hasn’t changed: The Great Commission—to make disciples of all nations—and to pray for our elected leaders and one another. Yes, even those who voted for the other color.Sharon’s niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, ple...2024-11-0610 minThe Armored SheepYou Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made! Feeling lonely? The prophets, apostles, and even Jesus himself have been there and know just how you feel. Contrary to what the world might want you to believe, you are perfect for what the Lord has designed you to do. And, as David wrote nearly 3,000 years ago, there is no place so remote that you are isolated from God. What’s more, David wrote, “You formed my inward parts; you kitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13–14, ESV)2024-10-3012 minThe Armored SheepHas the World Gone Crazy?! Seriously, has the world lost its collective mind?Since the middle of the 20th century, when American children were still from the Bible in public schools, our society has devolved from a simpler, perhaps naive, worldview to one in which everyone decides their own reality.Beginning in the 1960s, young women have been propagandized to believe that they were throwing off the shackles of the patriarchy when in fact they’d given up the freedom provided by the protection of the family designed by God for true bondage, in se...2024-10-2315 minThe Armored SheepChristopher Columbus Was Jewish?! DNA testing reveals something we didn’t know about Christopher Columbus! Also, the 23rd Psalm, the Good Shepherd, and the armor of God protecting us from the BAD shepherd.Sharon’s niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. 2024-10-1613 minThe Armored SheepWelcome to The Armored Sheep! Sharon K. Gilbert debuts her new podcast, The Armored Sheep! For this first program, Sharon shares some of her life story and explains what it means to be an "armored sheep." 2024-10-0913 min
Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #414: Proverbs 14LEANING ON OUR OWN understanding is a recipe for disaster. We continue with the theme of the importance of wisdom and willingness to receive correction, summarized in this verse: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Prov. 14:12, ESV) We also discuss grief and its place in the human experience. Until Christ returns, pain will be a part of our journey. It’s a consequence of our fallen world, but it also helps us grow and truly appreciate joy. Sharon’s niece...2024-06-301h 14Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #287: Exodus 34-37TAKE TWO at Mount Sinai: Moses goes back up the mountain for another 40 days and nights to get two new tablets to replace the ones he smashed.We discuss the construction of the tabernacle and the willingness of the Israelites to contribute building materials after the unpleasantness following the golden calf incident. We also explain why the famed artist Michelangelo sculpted Moses with horns — it was a translation error that confused Hebrew qaran (“shone”) with qeren (“horned”).Here is a link to Derek’s interview with Andrew Hoy (https://www.vftb.net/?p=8312), a professional engineer and the auth...2020-11-011h 18Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #286: Exodus 32-33IT DIDN’T take long for Israel to rebel against God’s commands. They broke the first two commandments—no other gods and no idols—before Moses even came down from Mount Sinai.We discuss the Israelites’ desire for an idol to give locality to their “god,” and whether the golden calf was supposed to represent Yahweh, the storm-god Baal, the moon-god Sîn (they were at Sinai, after all), or the creator-god of the Amorites, El, whose main epithet was “Bull El.”And Sharon makes the astute observation that God’s promise to send His angel to push out the...2020-10-251h 08Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #285: Exodus 29-31THE RULES for consecrating the Aaronic priesthood were very specific, and many of those rules were a repudiation of rituals the pagan neighbors of ancient Israel practices for their gods.We discuss the purposed of the blood shed by the bulls and rams sacrificed during the ritual, the reasons for burning their livers and kidneys, and the restricted use of holy anointing oil. (In other words, we shouldn’t use the recipe in Exodus 30 to make our own.)We also follow a rabbit trail back to our discussion of the Ark of the Testimony two weeks ag...2020-10-181h 07Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #284: Exodus 27-28THE GARMENTS worn by the high priest were a representation of the tribes of Israel, who were presented to the Lord when Aaron and his successors entered the Holy Place.We discuss the ephod, probably a tunic or robe worn on the upper body, the breastpiece of judgment that held the twelve gemstones inscribed with the names of the tribes of Israel, and the purpose of the Urim and Thummim — about which we know very little even today.Here is the link to the Leen Ritmeyer article at Patterns of Evidence regarding the discovery of three bl...2020-10-111h 05Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #283: Exodus 25-26THE ARK OF THE COVENANT is the focus of this week’s study. Contrary to Raiders of the Lost Ark, no, it was not a radio to talk to God.The ark was, in fact, God’s throne. He sat above the mercy seat, between the cherubim—who, by the way, looked more like sphinxes than the effeminate angels typically portrayed by artists.Cherubim, and similar throne guardians such as the lamassu of Assyria and the griffins of Egypt and the Hittites, were well known in ancient Mesopotamia. The Hebrew name of the creatures probably derives from t...2020-10-041h 08Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #282: Exodus 23-24MANY OF US have been taught that it isn’t possible to see God with our natural eyes and live. How do we reconcile that with the account of God personally eating a meal with Moses, Aaron, and the seventy elders of Israel?The scripture verse is clear: And He did not lay His hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. (Exodus 24:11)This is an appearance by the Second Power in heaven, or Jesus in the Old Testament. This meal on Mount Sinai was a message fr...2020-09-271h 06Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #281: Exodus 21-22WE DIG into the Law this week, as we discuss God’s commands to Israel on such things as slaves, restitution, and social justice.Slavery, in particular, had a far different meaning in the ancient Near East than it does for us in 21st century America. “Indentured servanthood” is perhaps a better term, since Hebrew slaves were to be released after six years of service.The roles of men and women were also different under the Law. While they appear old-fashioned (or even misogynistic) by today’s standards, they actually offered more rights and protection to women th...2020-09-201h 07Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #280: Exodus 18-20THE TEN COMMANDMENTS were the first instructions given to Moses upon Israel’s arrival at Sinai. And the first command was “you shall have no other gods before me.”We discuss the commandments and the reasons God had for emphasizing that directive and the one that followed, a prohibition on carved images to represent Him or any other spirit being in heaven, on earth, or “in the water under the earth” (i.e., the abyss). In a nutshell, it’s because the small-g “gods” are real and the pagans believed that idols gave the gods “locality,” sort of like spiritual radio...2020-09-131h 18Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #278: Exodus 14-15THE RED SEA crossing is an iconic moment in the Bible, the history of Israel, and in movies (thanks to legendary producer/director Cecil B. DeMille). But it’s way cooler than you might know.We explain why this event was far more than just Israel’s escape from Egypt. For example, have you ever noticed that God directed Moses to turn around and camp—in other words, to stop and wait for the Egyptian chariots to catch up?The significance of their campsite is also important, and we note the presence of other supernatural players in thi...2020-08-231h 08Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #277: Exodus 10-13THE PASSOVER is a milestone in world history. It’s a defining moment in the creation of Israel, and thus, a key event in the natural and spiritual history of the world.We discuss the connection between the Passover and another event of primary importance, the crucifixion of Jesus. We also discuss the cross-pollination of the pantheons of the Amorites (Canaanites) and Egyptians, and why it’s so difficult to draw one-to-one connections between the plagues of Egypt and the Egyptian pantheon. Some of the gods linked to specific plagues (such as Serapis, who’s connected by some to the...2020-08-161h 14Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #276: Exodus 7-9IT’S A showdown on the Nile between the God of the Hebrews and the gods of Egypt. However, contrary to what we’ve been taught, the gods of Egypt in Moses’ day weren’t all Egyptian gods.We discuss the first seven plagues of the Exodus and why we believe a one-to-one correspondence between the plagues and Egyptian gods doesn’t give us the full picture. Psalm 78:48-49 reveals that the seventh plague (hail and fire), which will be echoed in the first trumpet judgment of Revelation 8:7, was the work of supernatural entities called Barad (“hail”) and the Reshephim...2020-08-091h 14Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #275: Exodus 4-6MOSES RETURNS to Egypt with Aaron as his mouthpiece, a concession by God to Moses’ reluctance to speak to his fellow Hebrews about the Lord’s promise of deliverance.Despite being told by God that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened, Moses complained when the king of Egypt not only refused to let Israel go, but increased the burden on the Israelites working to make bricks.We also discuss the strange incident of Exodus 4:24-26, where God “sought to put [Moses] to death,” apparently because his son had not been circumcised according to the covenant between God and Ab...2020-08-021h 03Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #274: Exodus 1-3ISRAEL SPENT 430 years in Egypt. This is recorded in Exodus 12:40-41 and Galatians 3:17. How do we reconcile that with God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would return “in the fourth generation” (Gen. 15:16), or the four generations between Levi and Moses (Ex. 6:16-20)?We address that, and Derek admits his timeline of the ancient Hebrews needs to be adjusted accordingly. For the record, he now agrees with the plain reading of the 430 years, which places Jacob and his family in Egypt in 1876 BC, which means Abraham arrived in Canaan in 2091 BC.We also discuss Moses’ encounte...2020-07-261h 09Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #273: Genesis 50JACOB WAS buried at the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. So, why did Joseph and his brothers take his body all the way around the other side of the Dead Sea and mourn for seven days at a threshing floor in the ruined city of Sodom?We discuss the “physicians” of Joseph (ropheim in Hebrew) and the Rephaim of the Transjordan, explain why we believe the threshing floor of Atad was the site of Sodom, and speculate as to why Joseph and the retinue mourned Jacob for seven days “beyond the Jordan.”————Our latest book Veneration is available for...2020-07-191h 02Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #272: Genesis 47-49JACOB’S STORY comes to a close this week. He lived for seventeen years in Egypt, long enough to see Joseph use the foreknowledge given by God to concentrate power in the hands of the pharaoh (and the same number of years Joseph lived before he was sold into slavery by his brothers).We discuss Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, in which we see again an elder brother passed over in favor of the younger, and the patriarch’s prophecies over his sons. Judah, the fourth son, is elevated above his brothers, and it is from Jacob’...2020-07-121h 02Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #271: Genesis 44-46JOSEPH FINALLY reveals himself to his brothers, unable to continue his deception any longer. His brothers had returned to Egypt to buy more grain, bringing Joseph’s only full brother, Benjamin, with them as he’d ordered.But when Judah pleaded for Joseph to allow Benjamin to return to Jacob, Joseph was overcome with emotion and told them who he was. Jacob and the entire family entourage returned to Egypt and settled in the Nile delta, a land set apart from the native Egyptians who had a strong dislike of “Asiatics,” who they called “sand-dwellers.”We discuss the...2020-07-0559 minGilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #270: Genesis 41-43ALL OF us have had a wilderness experience of one kind of another. For Joseph, much of it was spent in prison cells.Two years after interpreting dreams for the baker and cupbearer for the king of Egypt, Joseph is summoned to make sense of a pair of disturbing dreams for the pharaoh. You know the story: God showed the king that seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh placed Joseph in charge of storing up grain for the lean years.We discuss the reason that God allowed Joseph to...2020-06-281h 06Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #269: Genesis 38-40IF THE Bible had truly been edited to make the apostles, prophets, and patriarchs look better, chapter 38 of Genesis would have disappeared centuries ago.This week, we discuss the unseemly episode of Judah’s relationship with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, by whom he fathered Perez, an ancestor of Jesus.We also discuss the history of the period to explain the timeline between Abraham and the Exodus, which is variously described as “four hundred years” (Gen. 15:13, Acts 7:6), “the fourth generation” (Gen. 15:16), and “four hundred and thirty years” (Ex. 12:40-41, Gal. 3:16-17).How do we reconcile the 400/430 year discrepan...2020-06-141h 03Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #267: Genesis 33-35ACOB WAS not exactly an ideal father.His reaction to the rape of his daughter Dinah by the prince of the city of Shechem is puzzling. Genesis chapter 34 shows that he didn’t say anything when learning of Dinah’s humiliation, or while his sons Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s six brothers by their mother Leah, plotted revenge against the city of Shechem, slaughtering the men after deceiving them into being circumcised. Jacob’s concern was not for Dinah or the murdered men, but for himself: “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink t...2020-05-311h 02Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #266: Genesis 31-32FEEDING THE dead was an integral part of the world in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived.We’ve previously discussed Abraham’s distress at not having an heir to provide for him in the afterlife; this week, we explain why Jacob’s father-in-law, Laban, was so upset about losing his teraphim, the small idols that represented dead ancestors who had to be summoned to a meal every month with a necromancy ritual called kispum.We also discuss Jacob’s separation from Laban, his encounter with angels along the Jabbok River, and his wrestling match with the Ange...2020-05-241h 06Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #265: Genesis 28-30PORTALS AND contact with the spirit realm are at the heart of this week’s Bible study.First, we discuss Jacob’s dream during his journey from the Negev to Haran in northern Mesopotamia. We’ve heard the term “Jacob’s ladder,” but the underlying Hebrew word reveals that what he saw was more likely a ziggurat—the ancient Mesopotamian pyramid that represented a stairway to heaven.We explain the connection between Bethel, “House (or Temple) of God,” and the stone idols later worshiped all over the Near East called baetylia by the Greeks and betyls by modern archaeol...2020-05-171h 02Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #264: Genesis 26-27ISAAC IS a transitional character in the Bible, serving mainly as the bridge between Abraham and Jacob. We discuss the stories of Isaac’s adult life—his lie about Rebekah to the king of Gerar and how how Jacob received the blessing that Isaac had planned to give Esau.While it’s hard to reconcile the deception of Rebekah and Jacob, we must remember that Esau thought so little of his birthright that he sold it to Jacob for a bowl of stew (Gen. 25:29-34). We see in this story another example of God choosing the younger son as the...2020-05-101h 04Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #263: Genesis 23-25WE REACH the end of Abraham’s time on earth this week. We discuss the death of Sarah, Abraham’s purchase of the cave of Machpelah, the marriage of Isaac, the birth of Esau and Jacob, and the short-sightedness of Esau in selling off his birthright for a bowl of beans.————Our latest book Veneration is now available for Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader! Click here and find out why readers rate Veneration 4.7 out of 5, described as “a must read” that “opens up...the Bible’s hidden mysteries.” (https://amzn.to/3bobuY6)————Check the website for links to some of our favorite Bi...2020-05-031h 13Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #262: Genesis 19:30-22:24HE SURVIVED the destruction of Sodom, but Lot didn’t seem very happy about it.This week, we discuss the aftermath of the fiery destruction of the cities of the plain, which also leveled Jericho, according to archaeologists. Lot and his daughters retreated into the hills and lived a hermit-like existence in a cave overlooking the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. Their isolation led to the incestuous creation of the nations of Moab and Ammon, longtime enemies of Israel in the centuries that followed.Then we discuss Abraham’s deception of Abimelech, the king of Gera...2020-04-261h 06Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #261: Genesis 18, 19:1-29THE DESTRUCTION of Sodom and Gomorrah was not about alternative lifestyles—and yes, it really happened.This week, we discuss Abraham’s encounter with God and two angels at the Oaks of Mamre near Hebron, a more likely reason for God’s judgment on Sodom, and we explain why the angels warned Lot to “escape to the hills, lest you be swept away”—and why Lot’s wife really was turned into a pillar of salt.Links you’ll want to explore after hearing this episode:* DigSodom.com, the website of the team excavating ancient Sodom (T...2020-04-191h 14Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #260: ResurrectionHe is not here, for he has risen, as he said.(Matthew 28:6, ESV)That’s the beginning of our study on the Resurrection. We look at texts from the Old and New Testaments to explain that Christ’s resurrection is the template for what is in store for all who have accepted him as Lord and Savior.From Genesis through Revelation, history is anchored to one overarching theme: Whose children will be raised up at the last trump.Scriptures cited in this study:* Job 19:25-27* Psalm 82* Isaiah 24:21, 26:13-27:1* Ezek...2020-04-121h 12Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #259: Passover and the Triumphal EntryWE SET aside our chronological reading order this week to look at scripture relating the Passover and Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.We explain why these events were more than symbolic; they were acts of war in the spirit realm. We discuss the specific entities targeted at Passover, explain the Amorite kispum ritual, the reason Jesus rode a donkey colt into Jerusalem, why the time and place of the Transfiguration were important in this sequence of events, how the Parable of the Tenants explains the supernatural conflict, and how baptism and the Lord’s Supper fit into the...2020-04-051h 05Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #258: Genesis 15-17ABRAHAM’S DISTRESS at being childless was caused by his concept of the afterlife. In the Amorite culture that dominated his world, it was believed that one’s quality of life after death depended on your descendants performing a monthly ritual to provide your food and drink.We explain the Amorite kispum ritual and why Abraham’s servant Eliezer was not necessarily from Damascus. According to scholar Nicolas Wyatt, the Hebrew phrase hû dammešeq was “a scribal gloss, explaining what was felt to be a damaged text, since the meaning of mešeq was lost until the Ugaritic te...2020-03-291h 09Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #257: Genesis 14A WAR fought near the Dead Sea nearly 4,000 years ago is the focus of this week’s study.After Abram arrived in Canaan and settled near Hebron, his nephew Lot was captured by an army from Mesopotamia that had come to put down a rebellion by the king of Sodom and his allies. We discuss the meanings of the names of the rebel kings, the possible identities of the kings of the east, and the significance of the Rephaim tribes defeated by the kings of Mesopotamia.We also discuss Melchizedek (malki-tsedeq, "my king is righteous" or "ki...2020-03-221h 11Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #256: Genesis 12-13GOD BEGINS a new phase of His plan to redeem humanity in this week’s study, as Abram is called from his homeland to journey south into Canaan.We explain again why Abram was not from Ur in Sumer, but from a town near modern Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey. As you can see by the map (click to enlarge), travelling to Canaan by way of Harran makes no sense. And beyond that, there are other cultural reasons that point to Abram’s northern Mesopotamian origins.We also discuss the significance of two of the key sites in t...2020-03-011h 07Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #255: Gen. 10-11; Deut. 32:8-9BEFORE WE pick up the story of Abraham, some context: When God divided the nations after the Tower of Babel incident, He placed them under the supervision of “sons of God,” angelic beings who were charged with carrying out His will while supervising His creation.We explain why understanding what happened at and after Babel is crucial to understanding the long supernatural war depicted in the Bible, not to mention the state of our fallen world today.Articles mentioned in this week’s study (see links in the notes at www.gilberthouse.org):* “Deuteronomy 32:8-9 and t...2020-02-231h 21Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #254: Job 39-42LEVIATHAN AND BEHEMOTH are featured this week as God uses them to illustrate the difference between Him and Job. While these creatures are described as possessing almost unimaginable power, they are as pets to our Lord, who made them just as He made us.We discuss the nature of Leviathan and Behemoth (and no, we do not believe they were a whale, giant squid, hippo, elephant, crocodile, or dinosaurs) and their parallels in pagan religions such as Tiamat, the Canaanite sea-god Yam, the Sumerian Bull of Heaven, and the “calf of El.” We cite a couple of extrabiblical text...2020-02-161h 12Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #253: Job 38GOD ARRIVES on the scene to respond to Job’s complaints, and boy, does He bring the thunder. Literally.Speaking from a whirlwind, which is an image that had been coopted by the fallen elohim to represent the Mesopotamian storm-god called Addu or Hadad (i.e., Baal).In fact, there are multiple references to the spirit realm and its rebellion in Job 38. God establishes His unequaled status in all Creation by reminding Job that he wasn’t there when God “laid the foundations of the earth” and “determined its measurements” while “all the sons of God [angels] shoute...2020-02-091h 03Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #251: Job 28-33JOB DELIVERS what is essentially his closing argument, recalling the days when his life was blessed, a respected member of the community, contrasting it with his current situation as one who’s mocked and despised. He asserts his innocence again, and issues another plea for a hearing.And then chapter 32 opens with a new character entering the scene: Elihu, a young man who’d been listening silently to his elders, unloads on Job and his friends. He’s angry at Job for justifying himself before God, and angry at his friends for accusing Job of sin without being able t...2020-01-261h 16Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #250: Job 25-27A DRAGON in the Bible? Yes! And we see it here in the Book of Job. What’s more, we see a connection between this primordial enemy of God and the spirits of the Nephilim.Even before God created the heavens and the earth, He subdued Chaos—variously called Leviathan, “the deep” (the abyss; Hebrew tehom), the sea (the Canaanite sea-god Yam), or, as here in Job 26:12, Rahab, “the fleeing serpent.”We also discuss the creation account of Job 26, which tells the story of the original chaoskampf, the struggle against Chaos (see Job 26:12-13). We also talk about t...2020-01-191h 10Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #249: Job 20-24JOB’S FRIENDS grow increasingly accusatory as we go through the book. This week, we hear the final speeches of Zophar and Eliphaz, who have gone from gently reminding Job that God punishes the wicked to accusing their miserable, suffering friend of mistreating the poor, widowed, and homeless!We speculate on the role of the accuser (“the satan”) in provoking their aggressive responses to Job, discuss the title of God in these chapters, the Almighty, and again contrast English Bible translations based on the Masoretic Hebrew text with the Septuagint version produced by Jewish religious scholars a thousand years...2020-01-121h 10
A View from the BunkerVFTB 1/5/20: Sharon K. Gilbert - Angels, Demons, and the End of DaysVENERATION OF the dead is a practice that links the modern world to the earliest days of recorded human history. More than that, it’s a thread that’s woven through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation.Sharon K. Gilbert joins Derek in the Bunker for a special birthday episode to discuss their first book together, Veneration, and how she uses the research behind this book for her top-rated historical fiction series, The Redwing Saga.——Download our free mobile app! Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are posted at www.vftb.net.——Derek a...2020-01-061h 31
A View From The BunkerVFTB 1/5/20: Sharon K. Gilbert - Angels, Demons, and the End of DaysVENERATION OF the dead is a practice that links the modern world to the earliest days of recorded human history. More than that, it’s a thread that’s woven through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation.Sharon K. Gilbert joins Derek in the Bunker for a special birthday episode to discuss their first book together, Veneration, and how she uses the research behind this book for her top-rated historical fiction series, The Redwing Saga.Download our free mobile app! Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are posted at www.vftb.net.2020-01-061h 31Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #248: Job 18-19JOB’S UNDERSTANDING of the afterlife was a reflection of the culture around him, which was dominated by the Amorites who controlled the ancient Near East from about 2000 BC to 1400 BC. They believed that the dead depended on the living to feed them to sustain them after death.But even with that, Job knew that his Redeemer lived, “and at the last he will stand upon the earth”—and that Job would see that day with his own eyes, a clear prophecy of the resurrection of the dead described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:35-55.We discuss the anci...2019-12-151h 09Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #246: Job 14-17JOB CONTINUES his lament this week, openly wishing that he could hide in Sheol until God’s anger was past. In response, Eliphaz the Temanite accuses Job of guilt, asserting that God only punishes the wicked.We know that's true, but judgment doesn’t always happen when we want it—right now, in the physical realm, where we can see it. Furthermore, we can see with our own eyes, as Job did, that bad things happen to good people.We also discuss a messianic prophecy, a reference to the divine council (Job 15:17—the “holy ones” are probably the...2019-12-081h 08Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #245: Job 10-13JOB FINALLY vents, declaring that he must speak freely since his effort to forget his complaint has failed. In chapter 10, Job addresses God in forceful language, accusing Him of being unjust and demanding answers for his suffering.Then Job’s second friend, Zophar the Naamathite, responds and offers little comfort. Zophar asserts that Job is guilty and deserving of God’s punishment—in fact, probably deserving of worse than he’s already suffered.Job replies that everyone knows God is sovereign and accuses his friends of speaking falsely for God. Contenting to assert his innocence, Job addresse...2019-11-241h 09Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #244: Job 6-9JOB REPLIES to the rebuke of Eliphaz and brings up some interesting points for our study this week. While admitting that God is just and all-powerful, the suffering Job still maintains that his complaints are justified.We see another reference to the divine council in Job’s mention of “the arrows of the Almighty (Shaddai)” and “the terrors of God.”Then we discuss Job’s anguished question, “Am I the sea(-god) [Yam], or a sea monster [tannin; i.e., a dragon] that you set a guard over me?” (Job 7:12) This is a reference to Genesis 1:2 and God’s taming...2019-11-171h 03Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #243: Job 5WE SEE the divine council worldview in the ongoing discourse of Eliphaz the Temanite, as he mentions the “Holy Ones,” an epithet used elsewhere in the Old Testament for the Watchers (Daniel 4:13, 17).We also discuss the hidden meaning of the “sparks” in Job 5:7, the bene resheph or “sons of Resheph,” and the significance of the Canaanite plague-god Resheph (hint: Resheph was called Apollo by the Greeks and Romans).Question: Which god did Eliphaz serve? Was he a pagan? We assume it was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but Job lived between the time of Noah and the...2019-11-101h 13Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #242: Job 2-4THE FRIENDS of Job are to be commended for giving up so much of their time to commiserate with him in his suffering. However, their understanding of the cause of his suffering was incomplete.At least they were more encouraging than Job’s wife, who advised him to “curse God and die.” We discuss the divine council reference in Job 2, the nature of Satan (or “the satan”), the location of the home of Eliphaz the Temanite, another clue that Job lived somewhere in what later became Edom (possibly near Petra), Job’s wish that he’d never been born, a veiled...2019-11-031h 09Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #241: Job 1JOB HAS become a symbol for patient suffering in the face of overwhelming adversity, but there’s a lot more to his story than that.This week, we begin our study of one of the most fascinating books of the Bible. We discuss the historical context of Job, the significance of Job’s probable homeland east of the Jordan River, the glimpse at the workings of the divine council, and the role of the satan in the council—because Satan wasn’t a proper name in the Old Testament.————Check the website for links to some of our favorite...2019-10-271h 02Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #240: Genesis 11:10-26AFTER THE construction of Tower of Babel, the descendants of Noah spread across the earth. This week, we discuss the descendants of Shem, since it’s from his line that the Lord brought forth His Messiah.We also discuss the days of Peleg, whose name means to cleave or divide. What caused the breakup of the land masses of the earth in ancient times? Was it related to the punishment of the Watchers who descended to Mount Hermon and were punished by being thrust down to Tartarus (2 Peter 2:4)?————Check the website for links to some of our favori...2019-10-2058 minGilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #239: Genesis 11:1-9THE TOWER of Babel was not at Babylon. It was at a place that was at least as important in the spiritual sense: Eridu.The Sumerians remember Eridu as the first city, where “kingship” was lowered from heaven, and, most important, it’s where the oldest and largest ziggurat in Mesopotamia was located. That was the temple of the god Enki, the E-abzu—the “House of the Abyss.”It was believed that Enki sent the gifts of civilization to humanity with the apkallu, the Mesopotamian Watchers, angelic beings who were later banished to the abzu by the chief go...2019-09-081h 13Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #238: Genesis 10THE NATIONS of the world have their origins in decisions made in the years immediately following the Flood. This week, we discuss the table of nations and briefly summarize the migrations of the descendants of Shem, Japheth, and Ham.We also explain why Babel was important to Nimrod, a prelude to next week’s study on the Tower of Babel.————Check the website for links to some of our favorite Bible study tools! And please, take advantage of our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the mai...2019-09-011h 10Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #237: Genesis 8-9THE SONS of Noah divided the world between them. It appears that the youngest, Ham, made a power play to usurp the birthright of his older brothers -- by having incestuous relations with his mother.This week, we discuss the aftermath of the Flood. We talk about the symbol of the rainbow, God’s command to Noah and his sons to fill the earth, and His prohibition on eating blood.We also unpack the odd story of the cursing of Canaan (Gen. 9:20-27) and what Ham actually did to bring that curse about his son. The Fa...2019-08-251h 18Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #236: Genesis 6-7THE STORY of a global flood is common to many cultures all over the world. Today, we read the real story behind the flood of Noah.We read the corresponding chapters in the Book of 1 Enoch that expand on Genesis 6:1-4. It was more than just human sin that led to the Flood; the Watchers and their monstrous offspring brought witchcraft, sexual depravity, and even cannibalism to the earth.We also connect the length of time that water covered the earth, including all of the high mountains (places of spiritual significance) to the time allotted to...2019-08-111h 05Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #234: Genesis 4:16-5:32PRIDE AND a drift away from the Creator is evident in today’s study, which features the generations of patriarchs between Adam and Noah.We discuss the first city built (Gen. 4:17) and explain why we think the builder was Cain’s son, Enoch (not the Enoch who “walked with God,” who was a descendant of Seth). That was probably the ancient city of Eridu, home of the god Enki, lord of the abyss, site of the oldest and largest ziggurat in Mesopotamia.We also discuss the pride of Lamech, descendant of Cain, and his boast that his deat...2019-07-141h 07Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #233: Genesis 3:8-4:16FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS have been messed up for millennia because of what happened in Eden.This week, we discuss the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit, taking a deep dive into Genesis 3:16, a difficult passage that suggests husbands and wives have been cursed by sin to struggle with one another for control.Then we talk about the curse directed at the serpent and explain why it has more to do with the Mesopotamian concept of the netherworld than why snakes don’t have legs. (Snakes never had legs.) We also deal with the old “serpent seed” heresy, which...2019-07-071h 15Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #232: Genesis 2:10-3:7THE TREE in the middle of the garden proved to be a test and a trap—not just for Adam and Eve, but for the serpent as well.This week, we discuss the location of Eden and explain why it was Jerusalem based on the identities of the four rivers named in Genesis 2:10-13. We also talk about the relevance of the rivers Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates to ancient cosmology, as reflected in Isaiah 47 and the ancient myth of the descent of Inanna (i.e., Ishtar, Astarte, Aphrodite, Venus, etc.) to the netherworld. The we di...2019-06-301h 11Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #231: Genesis 1:20-2:9GARDENS WERE not just for growing vegetables in the ancient world.This week, as we study days five through seven of Creation Week, we discuss the spiritual significance of gardens in the ancient world and their connection to the cult of divinized ancestors, especially dead kings—in other words, the mighty men who were of old.We also discuss the identity of the “we” and “us” whose image we bear, the importance of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and dig into the original Hebrew behind English words like “sea creatures,” “birds,” and “breath of life.”2019-06-231h 07Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #230: Genesis 1:1-19BACK TO the beginning! Today, we begin our study of the Old Testament for the second time, nearly five years after our very first dive into Genesis 1.We discuss the meaning of various Hebrew words and their implications, and we explain why the first chapter of the Bible isn’t just a creation account, it’s a repudiation of the creation stories told by the cultures of the ancient world.————Join us this Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at Morningside in Blue Eye, Mo. We will be guests on upcoming episodes of The Jim Bakker Show and the recording session is f...2019-06-161h 16Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #229: From Gilgal Refaim to GlasgowWE'RE BACK with a brief summary of highlights from our whirlwind tours of the Holy Land and the UK. We discuss sites we visited, such as Gilgal Refaim, Joshua's altar, and Harosheth Haggoyim (the headquarters of Sisera, commander of the army of the Canaanite king Jabin), the amazing artifacts at the British Museum, and an incredible divine appointment at the site of Aleister Crowley's home overlooking Loch Ness.Our next study of the Old Testament begins with Genesis 1 next week!————Our free mobile app for iOS and Android brings these studies right to your smartphone or tablet...2019-06-091h 14Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #227: Malachi 2-4WE REACH the end of the Old Testament today, the Book of Malachi, and with that we have completed our first journey through the entire Bible.We discuss God's condemnation of faithless rituals and the priests that perform them, His anger at those who had "married the daughter of a foreign god," and His promise to return on "the great and awesome day of the Lord."————Josh and Christina Peck need your help. Pray for their son, Nathan, who was recently diagnosed with T-cell leukemia. The whole family is with Nathan while he’s being treated. If you are...2019-03-1759 min
A View from the BunkerVFTB Live: Ali Siadatan - Flying Saucers and Fallen AngelsIT SOUNDS bizarre, but there are links between the fallen angels Paul warned us about in the Bible and the modern UFO phenomenon. Ali Siadatan of Think Again Productions, producer of the groundbreaking documentary UFOs, Angels, and Gods, joins us to discuss the connections.Then filmmaker Timothy Mahoney tells us about his forthcoming documentary Patterns of Evidence: The Moses Controversy, which will be screened in 950 theaters across America March 14, 16, and 19 (this coming Thursday and Saturday, and the following Tuesday).Plus: Trey Smith on Bill Maher’s HBO show; Venezuela still in the dark; kids strike for th...2019-03-112h 01Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #226: Neh. 10-13, Psalm 126, Mal. 1NEHEMIAH DISCOVERED what God had known for centuries (well, since the beginning of time, actually): His people were a stubborn lot.After returning from a visit to the Persian king Artaxerxes to report on the work that had been done in Jerusalem, Nehemiah discovered that the reforms he and Ezra the priest had instituted, a return to the Law given to Moses, had already been forgotten. Jerusalem was open for business on the Sabbath, with people buying, selling, and working through their day of rest.Worse, Tobiah the Ammonite had exploited a family connection to the...2019-03-101h 16A View from the BunkerVFTB Live: Jim Barfield and Chris Knight - The Copper ScrollIT MAY be a map to the greatest archaeological find in history. Oddly enough, it’s a retired arson investigator who may have decoded it.Jim Barfield, director of the Copper Scroll Project, and his colleague Chris Knight join us to discuss the controversial Copper Scroll, who wrote it, and what they were trying to preserve.Also: Trump walks from North Korea talks; fighting between nuclear powers in Asia; unsafe spaces for children; the retail apocalypse; Israel shoots for the moon; and African church walks back a miracle.Plus: There is still time for yo...2019-03-042h 00Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #225: Nehemiah 6-9PERSEVERANCE IN the face of opposition is one of the lessons from our reading today. The Samaritans, Ammonites, and Arabs in Nehemiah's day tried to discourage the Jews through threats, political pressure, and even a conspiracy to assassinate Nehemiah.With the work completed, Ezra led the people in a reading of the Law and a restoration of the Feast of Tabernacles, which, we were surprised to learn, hadn't been observed since the Exodus!We also discuss the meaning of God's promise to make Abraham's descendants "as the stars of heaven," which is a reference to our...2019-03-031h 15A View from the BunkerVFTB Live: Chrisagis Brothers - Music and MiraclesShawn and Brian Chrisagis shouldn’t be here. They were born three months premature, spent two years in incubators, and survived life-threatening allergies to the sun, grass, clothes and all types of food.And yet, here they are, in full-time music ministry, with a new book out next month and a pilot for a family-friendly television series on the way. Follow their ministry at www.ChrisagisBrothersMinistries.org.Also: Overpopulation myth; the U.S. is broke; Trump pulls federal funding from Planned Parenthood; fake hate crime shows that America’s not really that bad; and Christian witches clai...2019-02-251h 59A View from the BunkerVFTB Live: Dr. Aaron Judkins & Ty Towriss - Qumran 2 PetraWhat happens when you take a maverick archaeologist and a filmmaker from Indiana, and drop them into Qumran, Masada, and Petra? A travelogumentary that probably wasn’t sanctioned by OSHA. We talk with Dr. Aaron Judkins and Ty Towriss to discuss their film, Footsteps of Lost Truth: Qumran 2 Petra, find out why they went, what they learned, and the real treasure they found on their journey.Also: Trump declares border emergency; Democrats realize AOC is a gift to GOP; fake hate crime in Chicago; and a dangerous new online challenge encourages teens to fake their own disappearance.2019-02-181h 59Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #223: Ezra 7-10THE SECOND group to return from Babylon to Jerusalem was led by Ezra the priest, who secured permission from the Persian king Artaxerxes in 458 B.C. It was a four-month journey, which the Jews undertook without an armed guard, something that was unheard of in a time when caravan raiders were likely to prey on unsuspecting travelers -- especially a group loaded down with more than 30 tons of gold and silver!Then, in Jerusalem, the people confessed to Ezra that many of the Jews, including priests, had married pagan women during the exile. We discuss the Law concerning...2019-02-171h 10Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #222: Deuteronomy 9; Esther 4-10AN ASTUTE listener pointed out that we skipped chapter 9 of Deuteronomy way back between studies #44 and #45, so we begin this week by correcting that oversight. (Thank you, Marilyn!)We find a wonderful nugget in Moses' directions to the Israelites, based on the intriguing link between the Hebrew word for "cities" and the Aramaic word for "Watchers."Then we move to the climax of the Book of Esther, in which Haman gets his comeuppance, which was more gruesome than you've been taught. (The Hebrew word translated "gallows" really means "pike," or something similar. Think Vlad the Impaler...2019-02-101h 10Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #221: Esther 1-3THE STORY of Esther, a Jewish woman who became queen of Persia, is the origin of the Purim holiday, celebrating the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman, a key advisor to Xerxes, the king.In today's #MeToo culture, however, the story has been hijacked by our 21st century Western worldview. We discuss the differences between Esther and the deposed queen Vashti; obvious changes to the Book of Esther in the Septuagint translation; and why Esther wouldn't have been in a position to help her people if she hadn't been subservient to Xerxes and her cousin and guardian...2019-02-031h 11Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #220: Zechariah 12-14APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES of the coming Day of the Lord are the focus of the last three chapters of Zechariah. Today we discuss the prophet's vision of the final battle of the age and compare it to Armageddon and the war of Gog and Magog.We also talk about the aftermath, the millennial reign (although Zechariah doesn't call it that), and the final world order, when God rules and reigns over the entire world from Jerusalem.-----Our free mobile app for iOS and Android brings these studies right to your smartphone or tablet! Links to the...2019-01-271h 21Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #219: Zechariah 8-11GOD PROMISED that the tears and fasting of the Jews who'd returned to Jerusalem would be turned to joyous feasting. Then we turn to prophecies of God's judgment against the unrepentant nations on the Day of Yahweh.We analyze Zechariah's references to specific places, such as Tyre, Sidon, Greece, Damascus, Lebanon, and Bashan, a clear prophecy of Judas Iscariot, and a mysterious "worthless shepherd" who is almost certainly the Antichrist.-----Our free mobile app for iOS and Android brings these studies right to your smartphone or tablet! Links to the iTunes App Store and Google...2019-01-201h 05Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #218: Zechariah 5-7A FLYING SCROLL, a woman named Wickedness, other women with wings like storks, and four chariots pulled by red, black white, and dappled horses continue the fascinating vision of the prophet Zechariah.Picking up from his vision of the "two anointed ones" last week, we discuss the link between the flying scroll and the one unsealed by the Lamb in Revelation 6. We speculate on the significance of the directions in which the chariots were sent (two to the north, one to the south, and another to patrol the whole earth), and the symbolic and spiritual connections between Zechariah's...2019-01-131h 07Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #216: Haggai; Zechariah 1-2NOT SURPRISINGLY, the exiles who returned to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. got discouraged pretty quickly and left off rebuilding the Temple.About eighteen years later, in 520 B.C., God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people to get busy. Somewhat surprisingly, the people listened! We discuss the prophetic aspects of the messages given to Haggai and Zechariah, and compare them to the actions of the nascent Sanhedrin today.Here is the link to the 3-D video walkthrough of the Temple Institute's planned Third Temple: https://youtu.be/kMIxZc_SKFo-----Our...2018-12-231h 21Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #215: Ezra 1-6; Psalm 137THE PROPHESIED return of the exiles from Babylon is the focus of our study today.Under the leadership of Zerbbabel, who led the first group back to Jerusalem in 538 B.C., and with the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the temple was rebuilt in 515 B.C. We discuss the return of the people and the overwhelming emotions of the elders who wept when they saw the foundation of the new temple -- something they probably didn't think they would live to see.-----Our free mobile app for iOS and Android brings these studies...2018-12-161h 12Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #214: Daniel 12PHYSICAL RESURRECTION is an aspect of Bible prophecy that's not often discussed.Today, we link Daniel 12:2-3 to Isaiah 26:13-19, Ezekiel 39:11, Matthew 27:52-53, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 to show how the prophets and apostles understood not only that we will be physically resurrected someday, but that the Rephaim -- i.e., the spirits of the Nephilim (yes, them again) -- will be "blocked" from this resurrection. Visit www.EarthquakeResurrection.com for more information on David W. Lowe's excellent book Earthquake Resurrection.-----Our free mobile app for iOS and Android brings these studies right to...2018-12-091h 10Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #213: Daniel 11THE END of the 11th chapter of Daniel reads like a prophecy of the wars of Antichrist. Since the first 35 verses of that chapter are a prophecy of wars that were over the Holy Land in the two centuries before the birth of Jesus, concluding with Antiochus IV and his abomination of desolation, this analysis makes some sense.We revisit last week's study of Daniel 11:1-35, and then spend the rest of the study on the last ten verses of the chapter. We revisit last week's study of Daniel 11:1-35, and then spend the rest of the study...2018-12-021h 08Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #212: Daniel 10:1-11:35THIS WEEK, we dig into one of the most historically dense sections of scripture. It's especially fascinating because the history recorded here was written in advance.Daniel was shown a vision of the wars that would rage across the land formerly held by Israel during the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C. following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. Kingdoms established by two of Alexander's generals, Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator fought back and forth over the Levant for more than a century, and Daniel recorded the prophecy of those wars so precisely...2018-11-251h 04Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #211: Daniel 8-9IT'S NO WONDER Daniel was so distressed by the visions we discuss this week that he "lay sick for some days."Our study this week focuses on the vision of the coming of Alexander the Great and Antiochus Epiphanes, a precursor and type of the Antichrist, and the famous "seventy weeks" prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 which includes the prophecy to the "abomination of desolation" (Daniel 9:27) used by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:15-16, Mark 13:14, and Luke 21:20-21).We discuss the meaning and timing of the seventy weeks, why it points to a pre-tribulation rapture, and...2018-11-181h 14Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #210: Daniel 6-7WHILE POLITICS hasn't changed much in the last 2,500 years, we're thankful that today being "thrown to the lions" is just a figure of speech. In Daniel's day, it was apparently an effective method for disposing of political enemies.Unless, of course, God had other plans.This week, we discuss the famous story of Daniel in the lion's den, and then we move on to the prophetic section of the book to analyze the four terrifying beasts of Daniel's vision, various interpretations of what they represent, and why scholars can't agree on their meaning after more than...2018-11-111h 10Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #209: Daniel 5TODAY WE discuss the fall of Babylon. It wasn't just divine punishment for the hubris of King Belshazzar; this was a smackdown in the spirit realm.Interestingly, the target of God's wrath wasn't Marduk, city-god of Babylon and head of the Mesopotamian pantheon, it was the moon-god, Sîn. Belshazzar's father, Nabonidus, was the king of Babylon in 539 B.C., but he'd been living at Teima, an oasis in Arabia that was a center of the moon-god cult. Nabonidus was from Harran, another major center of moon-god worship, and his mother was a priestess in the temple of S...2018-11-041h 03Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #208: Daniel 3-4THIS WEEK'S study in the book of Daniel gives us a window into the polytheistic world of ancient Mesopotamia.Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean king of Babylon, had personal encounters with Yahweh, the God of Israel. He witnessed the power of God as He saved Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. We explain why the giant golden statue was probably an image of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, and how an archaeologist 150 years ago found what may have been the platform on which the statue stood.We also note that chapter 4 of Daniel is the...2018-10-071h 12Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #207: Joel 3; Daniel 1-2End times prophecy are the focus of this week's study as we conclude the Book of Joel and begin our study of Daniel.We explain why the third chapter of Joel confirms that the battle of Armageddon will be fought at Jerusalem, and we analyze the first dream of Nebuchadnezzar recorded in the Book of Daniel.We also discuss some of the historic and cultural context of the time in which Daniel lived, and the way God used a pagan king to reveal some of His plans for humanity's future.——Big news: Pastor Carl Gall...2018-09-231h 03Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #206: Ezekiel 47-48; Joel 1-2WE CONCLUDE our study of Ezekiel and move on to the apocalyptic prophecy of Joel this week. Here's a hint: The soldiers of Joel's Army are the bad guys.We discuss Ezekiel's prophecy of the division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel, and then we analyze Joel's prophecy of the coming judgment on the Day of Yahweh (the Day of the Lord) and explain why we believe Joel's prophecy is another description of the War of Gog and Magog, which ends with the Battle of Armageddon.——Big news: Pastor Carl Gallups, messianic rabbi Zev...2018-09-021h 18Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #205: Ezekiel 43-46GOD PROMISED to extinguish a cult of the dead that had defiled the Temple. This is one of the surprising things we find in our study of Ezekiel this week, in which the prophet continues with his detailed instructions for a future Temple complex, the land around it, and the calendar of feasts.In chapter 43, Ezekiel's description of the return of the glory of God to the temple includes His condemnation of its desecration by Israel:"Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where...2018-08-261h 05Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #204: Ezekiel 40-42DID EZEKIEL see John the Revelator, or at least his supernatural guide? That's one of the interesting questions raised by Ezekiel's vision of a new temple in Jerusalem.We discuss the need for the Third Temple, given that the new Jerusalem will not have temple in it (see Rev. 21:22), when this temple might be raised, and some of the differences between the temple in Ezekiel's vision and the one built by Solomon.——Big news: Pastor Carl Gallups, messianic rabbi Zev Porat, and Justen & Wes Faull are part of the 2019 SkyWatchTV Wars of the Gods Tour of Israel...2018-08-191h 05Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #203: Ezekiel 39THE INVASION of Israel led by Gog of Magog is the war to end all wars. This week, we back up to Ezekiel 39:1 and discuss the entire chapter to explain why this war ends with the Battle of Armageddon.We also dig deeper into the description of the hordes of Magog to show why the "fat beasts of Bashan" are the old gods, the Watchers (i.e., the Titans of Greek mythology), and their demigod progeny, the spirits of the "mighty men who were of old," the Nephilim.Derek also offers his reasons for suggesting that...2018-07-291h 01Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #202: Ezekiel 38:16-39:16WE CONTINUE our study of the war of Gog and Magog. To reiterate, Gog will not be a Russian leader.We explain why we should be looking at supernatural north, not a compass point. Ezekiel, like Isaiah, recognized that the great enemy of God would come from yarkete tsaphon, Mount Zaphon -- the mountain on which the pagan neighbors of ancient Israel believed the palace of Baal was located.We also discuss imagery that could apply to the pagan plague-god Resheph (better known as Apollo), the role of the Rephaim in the army of Gog, and...2018-07-221h 05Gilbert House FellowshipGilbert House Fellowship #201: Ezekiel 38:1-15THE MYSTERY of the identities of Gog and his minions has been the subject of debate for more than 2,500 years. We tackle it in this week's Bible study.In a nutshell, we arrive at these conclusions:* When he named Persia, Cush, and Put along with a coalition of smaller nations from the north, Ezekiel was actually prophesying that the entire world will come against Israel in the end times.* Gomer, Meshech, Tubal, and Beth-Togarmah were nations in what is now Turkey.* While Sharon believes the Hebrew word rosh is a proper name in this co...2018-07-151h 06A View From The BunkerVFTB 336: Sharon K. Gilbert & Josh Peck - Rocky Mountain Int'l Prophecy ConferenceOUR EXCLUSIVE interviews from the Rocky Mountain International Prophecy Conference this week feature two people I see every day: Sharon K. Gilbert, author of Ebola and the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, discusses her presentation "I Compute, Therefore I AM".Then Josh Peck, author of 'Quantum Creation' and 'Cherubim Chariots', explains why entities that seem to defy the laws of physics are actually transdimensional rather than extraterrestrial.Derek's supernatural thriller The God Conspiracy is now an audio book! Hear new episodes every Monday at www.TheGodConspiracy.tk.Please join Derek and Sharon Gilbert each...2016-09-1555 min
A View from the BunkerVFTB 336: Sharon K. Gilbert & Josh Peck – Rocky Mountain Int'l Prophecy ConferenceOUR EXCLUSIVE interviews from the Rocky Mountain International Prophecy Conference this week feature two people I see every day: Sharon K. Gilbert, author of Ebola and the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, discusses her presentation "I Compute, Therefore I AM". Please watch our weekly program SciFriday, that often discusses transhumanism and related topics, by clicking here (and please subscribe to our YouTube channel!).Then Josh Peck, author of ‘Quantum Creation‘ and ‘Cherubim Chariots‘, explains why entities that seem to defy the laws of physics are actually transdimensional rather than extraterrestrial. Be sure to watch Josh's program Into the Multiverse!Der...2016-09-1455 minA View from the BunkerVFTB at the OPS: Sharon K. Gilbert – Crowdsourcing AntichristTHE TECHNOLOGY we take for granted may be the infrastructure for the prophesied one-world government of the Antichrist.We kick off our series of interviews recorded at the recent Orlando Prophecy Summit with the only interview guest on A View from the Bunker that I hold hands with: author, analyst, blogger, wife and best friend Sharon K. Gilbert. We discuss the spiritual goals behind some of the activity taking place in the labs of major tech firms, speculate on the possibility that spirit beings can inhabit an artificial intelligence, and find out just what Sharon means by "crowdsourcing the Ant...2014-04-0430 min